Gravy Or Sauce: What Does New Jersey Put On Spaghetti?

Here in the Garden State, particularly here in South Jersey, we basically have our own language.

Some people refer to what most of the country calls subs or footlongs as hoagies, we're the only ones that know what a Wawa is, and, depending on where you're from, you go down the shore, not "to the beach". Only once you've arrived to the shore region do you go to the beach.

Here's the thing, out of all the different and, to the outsiders, weird phrases we use in our everyday way of speaking here in Jersey, the jury is still out on one particular phrase. What the heck to New Jersey residents put on top of their spaghetti?!

That may seem like an odd question to anyone who doesn't understand, but here in South Jersey in particular, depending on where you go it's either referred to as tomoato gravy or tomato sauce.

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There's no denying the Italian influence in South Jersey. Even if you aren't Italian whatsoever, it probably feels like you are. Every Italian family in the area calls it something different. The truth is, it's impossible to know if either term came directly from the motherland since we've become so Americanized.

The way I see it, you call it sauce if there's no meat in it. Refer to it as tomato gravy if there's chunks of meat or sausage included.

Make no mistake, there are people, Italian or not, on both sides of this fence. So, we decided it's time to end the argument once and for all. It's time to vote!