What Kind Of Cheese Does Costco Use On Its Food Court Pizzas?

Costco's pizzas are kind of a big deal. No, literally; they are huge. But, size aside, there's one other factor that gets customers in a tailspin: its mystery cheese. Costco does not pick just one type. Instead, the business is said to use a blend of mozzarella and provolone with parmesan on top. Provolone's taste is subtly smoky but still smooth and creamy, while mozzarella is just your classic milky flavor with that irresistible stretchiness. (Provolone also discourages browning, and mozzarella is quick to blister.) The parmesan has a harsher, nuttier taste to be scattered as the final touch. Costco takes a finely tuned approach to topping its pizzas. One Reddit user goes as far as to tout it as "better than some national chains." Another is slightly more skeptical, stating, "It's not very good pizza, it's just a lot of cheese."

Exact ratios of mozzarella to provolone are a point of controversy, and there are conflicting opinions on whether it's 80/20 versus 50/50 measurements. The sheer volume of cheese is impressive, too, though, with each whole pizza pie containing a whopping pound of this special blend. There's a chance ratios vary depending on pizza type, as there are reports that the pepperoni option has less cheese to allow for other ingredients. Who can blame them? The provolone, mozzarella, and parmesan mix is a meal alone.

While you're considering how many slices of Costco pizza to eat (a box comes with 12), it's worth learning a bit about its past. Did you know that the price of this pie hasn't increased since it was first launched at Price Club? Costco didn't merge with the business until 1993. That means some incarnation of the company has been selling whole pizzas for $9.95 since 1989 — nearly 40 years. There's not even a difference between the prices of the cheese and pepperoni versions. The brand that makes Costco's pizza dough has been around for decades as well. Lamonica's Pizza Dough has been delivering frozen dough since 1962 from its base in Brooklyn, New York.

This history of consistency is fitting, especially when you consider the unchanged price and the chain's reputation for offering bargains. The discounted food court items attract floods of visitors, which benefits Costco even if it doesn't profit directly from those foods. It's all part of getting people over that threshold. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, there's also a fun Costco pizza food court hack you'll wish you tried sooner.