| Neapolitan pizza | |
| Alternate Name: | Italian: Pizza napoletana (in Italian) |
| Country: | Italy |
| Region: | Naples, Campania |
| Type: | Pizza |
| Main Ingredient: | Although in the strictest tradition of Neapolitan cuisine there are only two variations (pizza Margherita and pizza marinara), a great number of Neapolitan pizza varieties exist, defined by the choice of toppings. |
| Variations: | Pizza Margherita, pizza marinara |
| Ich: | Art of Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’ |
| State Party: | Italy |
| Id: | 00722 |
| Region: | ENA |
| Year: | 2017 |
| Session: | 12th session of the Committee |
| List: | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
Neapolitan pizza (it|pizza napoletana; nap|pizza napulitana) is the version of the round pizza typically prepared in the Italian city of Naples and characterised by a soft, thin dough with high edges.[1] The tomatoes are traditionally either San Marzano tomatoes or Italian: [[pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio|pomodorini del Piennolo del Vesuvio]], which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and the cheese is traditionally Italian: [[Buffalo mozzarella|mozzarella di bufala campana]] or Italian: fior di latte di Agerola.[2] [3] Italian: Pizza napoletana is a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) product in the European Union and the United Kingdom, and the art of its making (Italian: arte del pizzaiolo napoletano) is included on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.[4]
According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN),[5] 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. 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). 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.
The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, it must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine, and may be no more than 3mm thick. The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a wood-fired oven. When cooked, it should be soft, elastic, tender, and fragrant.
Neapolitan pizza has a protected status granted by the Italian Standardization Body administered by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN). A protected designation is available to pizzerias that meet strict requirements in following Neapolitan traditions in the art of pizza making.
The European Union has recognised Italian: pizza napoletana as a traditional speciality guaranteed since 5 February 2010.[6] [7] 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.[8]