"Chicago has a reputation as one of the best food cities in America, but despite the city's well-documented love of local favorites like deep-dish and Italian beef, there is a "pizza" specialty there that many people don't know about. Pizza is in quotes there because even compared to the unusual deep-dish offerings, this snack stretches the definition of the word and isn't even on the menu at most Windy City pizza joins. Instead, it's a staple of hot dog stands and local fast food joints."
"but for the uninitiated they are comparable to a Hot Pocket or an oversized Totino's Pizza Roll. Yet even those related foods don't quite do it justice. There are similar fillings, sauce, mozzarella cheese, sausage, peppers, or pepperoni, but the exterior is crispy and flaky in a way those relatives aren't. In fact, the best comparison is probably a pizza-filled chimichanga, because pizza puffs are actually made by wrapping the filling in a tortilla and then deep frying."
Pizza puffs are a Chicago-specific snack resembling oversized Hot Pockets or pizza rolls but offering a uniquely crispy, flaky exterior. Typical fillings include sauce, mozzarella, sausage, peppers, and pepperoni; the ingredients are wrapped in a tortilla and deep-fried, giving a chimichanga-like texture. Pizza puffs commonly appear as sides at hot dog stands and local fast-food joints across the Chicagoland area and are seldom found on menus elsewhere. The pizza puff originated in the 1970s, with earlier culinary roots tied to Elisha Shabaz and the Illinois Tamale Company, which supplied hot dog vendors.
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