Most people would never think twice about how they eat a slice of pizza. It seems like one of those simple, carefree foods that comes with no rulebook. But according to etiquette consultant William Hanson, there is actually a proper technique, and a whole lot of people have been getting it wrong for years. His comments have stirred up a lively debate online, with strong opinions on both sides.
Hanson shared his take through a TikTok video that quickly gained traction. He argued that pizza is fundamentally a hand food and was never intended to be eaten with a knife and fork. The crust, he explained, exists precisely to give diners something clean and dry to grip. In his view, reaching for utensils at a pizza restaurant misses the entire point of how the dish is constructed.
“Pizza is classically designed to be eaten by hand,” Hanson stated in the video. “That’s why there’s a crust. You don’t need a knife and fork. You can simply pick it up and fold it.” He went on to advise that the slice should not be held loosely so that it dangles, since the sauce and cheese would risk sliding off entirely. Instead, he recommended folding the slice inward so that the hands only make contact with the dry underside and the crust itself.
@williamhansonetiquette You don’t need to use a knife and fork; pizza is not a formal food!
♬ original sound – William Hanson
For those dealing with a particularly soft or floppy slice, Hanson had an extra tip. He suggested folding the drooping tip upward as well, effectively creating a kind of pizza sandwich that holds its shape and can be eaten without making a mess. It is a practical solution that keeps the experience tidy while still honoring the hand-eating tradition he champions.
Not everyone in the comments section was convinced by his reasoning. Plenty of viewers said they would continue using silverware, particularly when dining out in public, regardless of what any etiquette authority might say. Some pointed out that knife and fork is the standard in many European countries and other parts of the world, and that British etiquette guidelines have no universal claim over global dining customs. The pushback was vocal and plentiful.
What made Hanson’s video especially surprising to many of his followers was the contrast with some of his earlier advice. He had previously gone viral for suggesting that foods like bananas and hamburgers should be eaten with a knife and fork to maintain decorum. Given that track record, seeing him enthusiastically encourage eating pizza by hand struck viewers as a bit of an unexpected turn. The comments reflected genuine amusement at the apparent contradiction.
It is worth noting that pizza’s origins trace back to Naples, Italy, in the 18th and 19th centuries, where it was street food sold to working-class people and eaten on the go with two hands. The classic Neapolitan style features a thin, soft center and a puffy outer crust, making folding not just acceptable but actually the traditional and intended method of eating it. This fold is known in Italian as “a libretto,” meaning folded like a small book. When pizza eventually spread to the United States, particularly through Italian immigrant communities in cities like New York, the hand-eating tradition carried over and became deeply embedded in American food culture. The New York-style slice, known for its wide, foldable shape, is essentially built around the concept Hanson describes. In contrast, deep-dish pizza from Chicago and other thicker regional styles are more commonly eaten with utensils simply because of their heft and structure. The debate between fork-and-knife and hands is ultimately tied to regional style and personal preference as much as it is to any formal etiquette rule.
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