Type | Pizza |
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Place of origin | Italy |
Region or state | Campania |
Main ingredients | Pizza dough (wheat flour, natural yeast, sour dough or brewer's yeast, sea salt, water), tomatoes (San Marzano or pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio ), mozzarella (bufala campana or fior di latte di agerola) |
Variations | Pizza Margherita, pizza marinara |
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Neapolitan pizza (Italian : pizza napoletana; Neapolitan : pizza napulitana), also known as Naples-style pizza, is a style of pizza made with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. The tomatoes must be either San Marzano tomatoes or pomodorini del Piennolo del Vesuvio , which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius. The cheese must be mozzarella di bufala campana , a protected designation of origin cheese made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state,[ citation needed ][ clarification needed ] or fior di latte, a cow's milk mozzarella created according to the procedure for which it was registered as a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG). [1] [2] Pizza napoletana is a TSG product in the European Union and the United Kingdom, and the art of its making is included on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. [3]
According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), [4] the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of wheat flour, natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. The dough is always fat-free and sugar-free. [4] The regulations specify that the dough must be made primarily from a medium-strength (W value of 250–320; 11–13.5% protein), finely ground wheat flour, with no more than 20% of the flour being strong flour (W value above 350). [4] Since the end of World War II in Italy, when strong flour was imported from Canada as part of the Marshall Plan, this strong flour has been called Manitoba flour. [5]
The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine, and may be no more than 3 millimeters (0.12 in) thick. [4] The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a 485 °C (905 °F) wood-fired oven. [4] When cooked, it should be soft, elastic, tender and fragrant. [4]
There are different variants, with the original one being called "pizza Margherita", topped with tomato, mozzarella, basil, and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), sometimes with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Other variants are pizza marinara, topped with tomato, garlic, oregano, and EVOO, and pizza Margherita DOP, made with tomato, buffalo mozzarella from Campania, basil, and EVOO.
Italian: (La pizza napoletana va consumata immediatamente, appena sfornata, negli stessi locali di produzione. L'eventuale asporto del prodotto verso abitazioni o locali differenti dalla pizzeria ne determina la perdita del marchio)
(The Neapolitan pizza must be consumed immediately, fresh from the oven, on the same premises where it was produced. Any take-away of the product to homes or premises other than the pizzeria results in the loss of the mark)
— Article 6 of the specifications for the definition of international standards for obtaining the "Pizza Napoletana STG" mark, [ This quote needs a citation ]
Neapolitan pizza has a protected status granted by the Italian Standardization Body administered by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (AVPN). [6] A protected designation is available to pizzerias that meet strict requirements in following Neapolitan traditions in the art of pizza making. [7]
The pizza napoletana is a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) product in Europe. [8] [9] The TSG certification attests that a particular food product objectively possesses specific characteristics which differentiate it from all others in its category, and that its raw materials, composition or method of production have been consistent for a minimum of 30 years. [10]
The European Union has recognized pizza napoletana as traditional speciality guaranteed since 5 February 2010. [11]
Mozzarella is a semi-soft non-aged cheese prepared by the pasta filata method with origins from southern Italy.
Pizza is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and often various other ingredients, which is then baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fired oven.
A traditional speciality guaranteed is a traditional food product protected under European Union and/or UK law. This label differs from the geographical indications protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) in that the TSG label does not certify that the protected food product has a link to a specific geographical area, and thus a product can be produced outside the area or country from which it originates.
A calzone is an Italian oven-baked turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in an oven and stuffed with salami, ham or vegetables, mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan or pecorino cheese, as well as an egg. Different regional variations in or on a calzone can often include other ingredients that are normally associated with pizza toppings. The term usually applies to an oven-baked turnover rather than a fried pastry, though calzoni and panzerotti are often mistaken for each other.
New York–style pizza is a pizza made with a characteristically large hand-tossed thin crust, often sold in wide slices to go. The crust is thick and crisp only along its edge, yet soft, thin, and pliable enough beneath its toppings to be folded in half to eat. Traditional toppings are simply tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. This was a popular meal amongst poor Italians due to the ratio of product from the limited produce.
Pizza Margherita or Margherita pizza is a typical Neapolitan pizza, roundish in shape with a raised edge and garnished with hand-crushed peeled tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and extra virgin olive oil. The dough is made by mixing water, salt and yeast with flour.
The World Pizza Championship is an event held annually for three days in April since 1991 in Salsomaggiore Terme (Parma), Italy, although several other cities likewise claim to be the home of the ultimate international pizza games including Naples and Paris. Organized by Pizza E Pasta Italiana magazine, the 30th edition of the competition was held from April 18-20, 2023. More than 700 chefs from 52 countries compete in 12 categories. The World Pizza Championship includes six categories in the baking competition, three categories in the pizza game competition, the pizza team award, the Heinz Beck trophy awarded to pizzeria chefs, and the triathlon award given for the highest average score in 3 separate categories. All culinary scores are figured from 800 as perfect, with each contestant rated by cooking prowess, sanitation, presentation, taste, and knowledge of the pizza. It is the largest pizza show in the world with over 6,500 independent chain and franchise owners from all around the world attending. The winners are inducted into their Hall of Fame and are sometimes invited back to judge the next World Pizza Championship.
In many European countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, there are various traditions surrounding the use of bread during the Easter holidays. Traditionally the practice of eating Easter bread or sweetened "communion" bread traces its origin back to Byzantium, Eastern Catholicism and the Orthodox Christian church. The recipe for sweetened or "honey-leavened" bread may date back as far as the Homeric Greek period based on anecdotal evidence from classical texts.
The history of pizza begins in antiquity, as various ancient cultures produced flatbreads with several toppings.
A San Marzano tomato is a variety of plum tomato originating from the Campania region in Italy. It is known for its flavour and quality as a canning tomato. San Marzano production is protected by a European protected designation of origin certification.
Neapolitan cuisine has ancient historical roots that date back to the Greco-Roman period, which was enriched over the centuries by the influence of the different cultures that controlled Naples and its kingdoms, such as that of Aragon and France.
Pizza arrived in the United States in the early 20th century along with waves of Italian immigrants who settled primarily in the larger cities of the Northeast, such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore. After American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II, pizza and pizzerias rapidly grew in popularity.
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria is an Italian restaurant chain with six locations in Washington, United States. The first location was founded in 2004. The restaurant specializes in "authentic" Neapolitan pizza and is certified by the non-profit Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana which certifies pizzerias that use traditional ingredients and processes. Tutta Bella was the first restaurant in the Pacific Northwest to receive such certification.
Pizza marinara, also known as pizza alla marinara, is a style of pizza in Neapolitan cuisine seasoned with only tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil, oregano and garlic. It is supposedly the oldest tomato-topped pizza.
Argentine pizza is a mainstay of the country's cuisine, especially of its capital Buenos Aires, where it is regarded as a cultural heritage and icon of the city. Argentina is the country with the most pizzerias per inhabitant in the world and, although they are consumed throughout the country, the highest concentration of pizzerias and customers is Buenos Aires, the city with the highest consumption of pizzas in the world. As such, the city has been considered as one of the world capitals of pizza.
Pizza quattro formaggi is a variety of pizza in Italian cuisine that is topped with a combination of four kinds of cheese, usually melted together, with or without tomato sauce. It is popular worldwide, including in Italy, and is one of the iconic items from pizzerias' menus.
A pizzeria is a restaurant focusing on pizza. As well as pizza, dishes at pizzerias can include kebab, salads and pasta.