Devorah Lev-Tov

Special for USA TODAY

When you see the words “Pizza Capital of the World,” where do you think of? Naples, Italy? Brooklyn? Well, according to some, it’s the little town of Old Forge, Pa. (You’re excused for thinking, “huh?”)

While the claim may be self-imposed, Old Forge does have some strong pizza cred. The former mining town of about 8,000 people in Lackawanna County (five miles from Scranton) in Northeast Pennsylvania, has a rich history of coal mining and textile factories, but what it’s most known for these days is its distinct style of pizza. This is not New York-style, Neapolitan or deep dish — or any other style you may have heard of — they have their own type of pizza that is really unique.

Ghigiarelli’s is believed to be where what’s now known as Old Forge pizza originated. It’s said that in 1926, Grandma Ghigiarelli served a rectangular pizza to the miners that used to play cards at the bar she owned with her husband. It was an instant hit. Today, more than a dozen pizza cafes (as they’re called locally) along Main Street serve Old Forge pizza.

Some key qualities define Old Forge pizza. First, a whole pizza is not called a pie but a tray — the pizza is baked on rectangular metal pans, and there are no slices, just cuts.

“Sometimes people call and order a pie and we go, ‘Do you want apple or blueberry?’” jokes Angelo Genell, whose family has owned Arcaro & Genell, one of the town’s most well-known pizza shops, since 1962.

Old Forge pizza has a crust that’s lighter than a typical thick crust, and crispy on the bottom with a chewy center. There are two types of Old Forge pizza: red and white. On a red, the sauce is on the sweeter side, and sometimes has diced onions. It’s topped with a blend of cheeses that may include mozzarella, American and cheddar, depending on the restaurant. A white pizza is stuffed, with a layer of dough on top and bottom. The top layer is usually covered in herbs and sometimes thin slices of onion. Inside, there’s no sauce, just a ton of cheese and any other fillings you choose, like spinach or broccoli.

With so many places to get pizza you’d think the cafes would be competitive. Not so.

“All the places make really good pizza,” says Genell. “You’ll have people buy pizza on Friday from one person, on Saturday from somebody else, and on Tuesday from somebody else. There’s not a bad pizza in Old Forge.”

Get a sneak peek inside some of Old Forge’s best pizza cafes in the gallery above, and celebrate more of the country's pizza capitals below.