How Often Do Illinoisans Eat The State’s Most Iconic Food?

If you live in Illinois and haven't dabbled in deep dish pizza yet, what's the hold up?

Okay, I'm not really one to talk.  I have lived in Illinois my entire life and my first time eating deep dish pizza was last year.  I am 26 years old and just tried deep dish; Illinois' most iconic food.  Call me crazy, but I didn't even know it existed until a few years ago!

What Is So Special About Deep Dish Pizza?

"The most unique and recognizable element of Chicago pizza, deep-dish crust is at least an inch deep, allowing room for extra sauce and toppings. With its even higher crust, stuffed pizza resembles a pot pie or casserole dish more than a New York-style thin-crust pie!" [theskydeck]

Related: These Are the 5 Best Chicago Deep Dish Pizzas, Food Experts Say

I guess living in a household where your parents cook every night and only order takeout once every few months really changes the exposure you get to delicious eats around the city.

Even after trying deep dish pizza I wasn't that impressed.  Maybe it's because I don't care much for pizza in general, but it seemed too heavy on the sauce for my liking.  Not really my cup of tea, if you catch my vibe.

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Take me out of the equation, though.  According to the rest of the state of Illinois, we don't eat deep dish pizza as often as you would think.

Read More: Only One Important Rule To Eating Chicago Deep Dish Pizza 

How Often Do Illinoisans Eat The State's Most Iconic Food?

I was going down a rabbithole on Reddit and came across this conversation about how often people eat deep dish.  Interestingly enough, I agreed with what most people were saying.

Most Illinoisans eat deep dish pizza only two to five times a year because of how heavy and thick it is.

One Reddit user said, "This is about where my wife and I are at. We'll have it once or twice when people visit, then maybe once or twice on our own when we get a craving."

Another user said, "90 percent of Chicagoans: "it's good, but it's too heavy to eat often. I usually just eat it when people are in from out of town.""

Related: You Cannot Visit Illinois Without Eating These 5 Iconic Foods

So as much as we love deep dish pizza in Illinois, we don't seem to eat it as often as people make it seem.  It might be the most iconic food you must try if you're visiting from out of town, but know we aren't stuffing our faces with it every night!