Pizzas, the Italian government has decreed, are made with a thin crust, fresh plum or cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. Basil, oregano, garlic and olive oil are acceptable toppings but everything else is an affront to Italian cuisine.
An announcement in the Official Gazette — normally reserved for rather drier government regulations — confirmed that the government is going on the offensive after 20 years of gastronomic hand-wringing about inferior imitations of Italian food.
Government inspectors will tour pizzerias awarding a “seal of guarantee” to restaurants that comply with the rules. Inspectors will also be enlisted to expose “imposters” among the 60,000 “so-called Italian restaurants around the world” and issue certificates of approval, Mr Gianni Alemanno, the Minister of Agriculture, said.
Pizza derives from the flat bread common to Mediterranean cultures and has enjoyed near-mythical status in Naples since the Margherita, topped with tomato, mozzarella and basil, was invented in 1889 in honour of a visit to the city by Queen Margherita, wife of King Umberto I. Its ingredients were chosen to echo the red, white and green of the Italian tricolour…
The rules specify three types of approved pizza:
- Margherita, made with fresh San Marzano plum tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella from the southern Appenines
- Margherita Extra with cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella
- Marinara, made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano
- Dough must be hand-tossed, not rolled, and cooked in a wood oven at 200°C-215°C (392°F-419°F)
- The crust must be 1-2cm (0.4"-0.8") on the rim and 3mm (0.12") in the centre
Deep-pan pizzas are unknown in Italy [Owen]
Owen, Richard. “Italy’s pizza police will leave no tomato unturned.” The Times, London. 27 May 2004. <avantgo.thetimes.co.uk/services/avantgo/article/0,,1123754,00.html> (28 May 2004).