After consuming 15 pizzas in 4 days from 6 highly acclaimed pizzerias in Naples, Italy, you would think I would I know Neapolitan pizza to a tee, but not so much. The more I learn about it the less I think I know it, and now I’m rethinking pizza all together.
I tried pizzas from both Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) "true Neapolitan pizza" certified places as well as non-VPN places and not one was better than the other. They were all good and even on the “VPN certified” level there were still inconsistencies.
Pizza masters have different philosophies behind pizza and their interpretation varied regardless of being certified.
The certification also requires a one-time fee of $2,000 and a $250 annual fee after, so while it intends to protect the traditions of Neapolitan pizza, it is not necessarily a sign of how good a pizza is. And even certified pizzerias don’t follow all the guidelines which are not being inspected on a daily basis.
Under the VPN rules an authentic Neapolitan pizza should have characteristics such as hand made dough, ingredients preferably from Campania, sliced cheese as opposed to hand-torn, pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven for 60-90 seconds, and a soft, elastic crust, which North Americans still seem hesitant about.
So while many things are questionable, there are some things that can be set straight. This is not a say-all, end-all, but there are certain characteristics of Neapolitan pizzas that are undeniable.
The following three characteristics are typical of most Neapolitan pizza, and ironically it’s the three things North Americans tend to have a hard time accepting or understanding.
1. The crust is foldable from the centre to the edge. Yes, give up on the “crisp crust”. If you want a true Neapolitan pizza, the pizza centre and rim should fold upon itself. “Crisp” and “crunchy” are not adjectives to describe Neapolitan pizza.
2. The pizza is tender and soft in the centre. Again, it’s not crispy and when you pick it up, the centre should sag or droop. As for the soupiness? 13 of 15 pizzas were soupy and soggy with wet centres, and the three that weren’t were from the same place – Pepe in Grani (arguably the godfather of Neapolitan pizza).
3. They come uncut, so stop asking for them to be cut. The reason the come uncut is so the flavours stay in tact. As mentioned, most of them are soupy, and if you cut the pizza the sauce and juices run. Most people still eat pizzas with a knife and fork, so the pizza will eventually be cut, but it shouldn’t be when it’s served. That being said, eating with hands is accepted.
In the end it all comes down to taste and taste is personal. Pizzerias outside of Naples tend to cater to the tastes of the clientele, so rules change and things adapt according to context. Recipes also change with time, and within Neapolitan pizza standards there is room for personal style.
Whether or not a pizzeria sticks to these common characteristics, or whether or not they are understood or appreciated is uncontrollable, but traditions and the art of pizza making should at least be acknowledged.
Note: Pizzerias included in the research for this article are: Pizzeria 50 Kalo di Ciro Salvo, Pizzeria di Matteo, L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, L'antica Pizzeria Port'Alba, Pizzeria Vesi and Pepe in Grani. Pizzeria Starita and Pizzeria Sorbillo were closed at the time or they would have been included.
Follow Mijune’s culinary adventures this weekexploring Spanish tapas in Barcelona and Madrid. Follow #FMFinBarcelona and #FMFinMadrid for updates.
She also highly recommends the 3rd Annual First Harvest dinner at Willows Inn on September 22 and 23. http://www.willows-inn.com/events/first-harvest-dinner-2014/ Reserve now as seats are limited.
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