Have you ever craved a pizza and someone suggested Domino’s or Pizza Hut and you just cringed? There is nothing worse than wanting an authentic Italian pizza and being offered a watered down version of a flat-bread pie that is referred to as pizza only because it was inspired by the original. Well there might be one or two things worse, but when you are hungry for authentic Italian-style pizza, it’s hard to think of them.
True pizza aficionados are so serious about the creation of authentic Italian pizza that they actually have more than fifteen professional pizza-related trade associations in Italy. These associations are dedicated to the training and education of what it takes to make a pizza that is worthy of it’s name.
One of the most well known pizza associations is the Vera Pizza Napoletana, or the VPN. Vera, or Verace, is Italian for real or authentic, and that is precisely what they are all about. The goal of VPN is to specifically promote and protect the style and tradition of the authentic Pizza Napoletana, which was the pizza made popular in the birthplace of pizza as we know it, Naples, Italy.
The Pizza Napoletana is the pizza that started the widespread love of pizza when Queen Margherita sampled and fell in love with this dish. When Chef Raphael was asked to make a special sampling of pizza for the queen, he created the Pizza Margherita which was inspired by the colors of the Italian flag. As this became the queen’s favorite, the citizens who loved and respected her also began loving the Pizza Margherita.
The authentic form of pizza Margherita is made of a yeast-based dough that is shaped and tossed by hand. The toppings are tomato, mozzarella, olive oil and basil. Another true authentic Napoletana pizza is the Pizza Margherita Extra which replaced traditional mozzarella with mozzarella di Bufala. Pizza Marina is also a VPN favorite, topped with tomato, garlic, oregano, and olive oil.
While the Pizza Margherita set the standard for all the pizzas to follow a large variety of other pizzas have been popularized in the Italian marketplace that have been preserved carefully as their popularity spread beyond Italy’s borders.
The Capricciosa Pizza is a delicious favorite that is made with the hand tossed yeast dough and then topped with mushrooms, prosciutto, which is a specially cured ham common in Italy, artichoke hearts, olives, and a hard boiled egg. Another pizza with a strong resemblance to the Capricciola is the Quattro Stagioni Pizza. This delectable favorite is a perfect sampler pizza as it is made to represent the four seasons. It is topped with four distinct sections of artichokes, Prosciutto cotto or salami, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
Since the introduction of the tomato as a safe food to eat, most authentic Italian pizzas incorporate the tomato into their recipes. (Prior to the poor peasants of Naples safely ingesting tomatoes as a food, Europeans thought that the tomato was poisonous as other members of its family are.) However, not all pizzas use tomatoes. The Quattro Formagi is made with a special blend of four cheeses. In addition to the traditional mozzarella, this pizza is made with three local cheeses, such as ricotta, parmigiano-reggiano, and Gorgonzola. Pizzas in Liguria are often topped with a basil pesto sauce instead of tomato sauce.
For seafood lovers, there are several specialty toppings used frequently in authentic Italian pizzas such as shellfish, shrimp, Italian tuna packed in olive oil, and the ever-so-popular topping that is also the least requested by Americans, the anchovy! (If you have never tried a pizza with anchovies, you are missing out on an amazing taste sensation. DO NOT simply order anchovies on a pizza at Pizza Hut. You must go to a top-rated restaurant that specializes in maintaining the truest essence of the original pizza and order a pie that is perfectly balanced to accommodate the full flavor of anchovies. It’s delicious, but I warn you that you will be thirsty afterwards!)
Local capers and olives of Italy are the heart and soul of the Pizza Pugliese. Mushrooms and tender Prosciutto crudo (ham that is not cooked while curing) make up the succulence of the Pizza Veronese. The ever-so-passionate Sicilians take the art of topping a pizza to a whole new level with a vast array of toppings such as green olives, hard-boiled eggs, sausages, seafood, and peas.
A hungry-man favorite is the Pizza al Taglio, also referred to as the Pizza Rustica is frequently piled on with marinated mushrooms, artichokes, and/or onions. This overloaded pie is so heavy that it is often sold by weight rather than by the pie.
Are you getting hungry? Mmmmmmm!!!!
For a pizza to truly be authentic in keeping with the Italian tradition, there are several key factors that must be present:
* The pizzas should be baked in a wood-burning oven at approximately 800ºF. If you can’t use a wood-burning oven, still make sure that you are cooking the pizza as close to 800ºF as you can for the truest authentic Italian effect.
* Use fresh, non-processed, all-natural ingredients.
* For Vera Napoletana Pizzas to be certified by the VPN, the meatless pies should be baked for no more than 90 seconds. Talk about FAST FOOD!!!
* The pizza must be made with a hand-tossed, yeast-based dough that is either kneaded by hand or mixed with a slow speed mixer. It is to never be mechanically formed with a rolling pin or dough press.
An important thing to know when dining in an Italian pizzeria is that each pizza is made as a smaller pie intended to be enjoyed by just one person, so no one will have to sacrifice choosing their personal favorite ingredients for a more picky eater. The pizzas are then eaten with a knife and fork rather than coming in triangular slices. If you are in Italy and want to have pizza delivered, do not look in the phone book and look for Domino’s. Pizza delivery is non-existent in Italy outside of the occasional call into room service. True Italian pizza is a meal to enjoy, taking your time while enjoying your family in the cozy ambiance of the Pizzeria. That’s the Italian way!
For Italian-Americans or Americans in love with the Italian way, there is no place like www.VirtualItalia.com for meeting, connecting and exchanging ideas with people who truly understand the art of authentic Italian pizza preparation.
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