Neapolitan pizza
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 Pomodorino 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, 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]
![]() Neapolitan pizza "Margherita" | |
Type | Pizza |
---|---|
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 marinara, pizza Margherita |
Part of a series on |
Pizza |
---|
![]() |
Recipe
According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana,[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]
Variants
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.
UNI and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed
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]
See also
- List of pizza varieties by country
- New Haven-style pizza (US), closely related to Neapolitan
References
- "Official Journal of the European Union". lex.europa.eu. 2008. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- "Selezione geografica". Europa.eu.int. 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2005. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- "Naples' pizza twirling wins Unesco 'intangible' status". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 7 December 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- "Regulations for obtaining the use of the collective trade mark "Verace Pizza Napoletana" Production Rules ('Il Disciplinare')" (PDF). Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 April 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- Last, John (13 December 2022). "There Is No Such Thing As Italian Food". Noema Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- Authentic Craft Pizza Napoletana Specification, 1998, archived from the original on 20 March 2022, retrieved 8 July 2020
- How to obtain AVPN certification, archived from the original on 11 July 2020, retrieved 8 July 2020
- Kennedy, Duncan (4 February 2010). "Naples pizza makers celebrate EU trademark status". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- "Publication of an application pursuant to Article 8(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 509/2006 on agricultural products and foodstuffs as traditional specialties guaranteed – Pizza napoletana (2008/C 40/08)", Official Journal of the European Union, 14 February 2009, archived from the original on 10 May 2013, retrieved 31 March 2014
- Tosato, Andrea (2013). "The Protection of Traditional Foods in the EU: Traditional Specialities Guaranteed". European Law Journal. 19 (4): 545–576. doi:10.1111/eulj.12040. S2CID 154449313.
- "Commission Regulation (EU) No 97/2010 of 4 February 2010 entering a name in the register of traditional specialities guaranteed [Pizza Napoletana (TSG)]". eur-lex.europa.eu. 4 February 2010. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2021.