Monday, May 12, 2008

Multicultural Lesson of the Day Today we go to Italy--more specifically, Naples--for my first and last Multicultural Lesson of the Day. The Nepalese, Neapolitans, take their pizza very seriously. They should, they invented it. Pizza makers here in the US strive to meet exacting standards, and some go so far as to even have the same pH level in their water as the water used in Naples to make the dough. In order to be called an authentic Naples pizza, it must meet certain requirements. Enter the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana--an association that originated in order to ensure that any pizza that calls itself Neapolitan meets said standards. So what are these rules? Here's a piece extrapolated from the VPN Charter (yes, there's a charter): The certification mark of Verace Pizza Napoletana is reserved exclusively for those establishments whose pizzas fulfill the following standards: "Verace Pizza Napoletana" must be made from the following raw ingredients: · Flour · Natural Yeast, Yeast of Beer · Water The pizza dough must be worked with the hands or with a mixer approved by the Association's committee. After rising, the dough must be shaped with the hands and without a rolling pin or any mechanical means. The cooking of the pizza must take place on the surface of the oven and not in any pan or container. The oven must be a wood burning oven and structured in a bell shape and of special brick with the floor of the pizza oven constructed of volcanic stone. The oven must be fired with only wood and kindling. The classic pizzas and their respective basic ingredients are the following: · Marinara (Napoletana): Tomato, olive oil, oregano, and garlic. · Margherita: Tomato, olive oil, grated Parmesan, and fior-di-latte or mozzarella. · Ripieno (Calzone): Ricotta, fior-di-latte or mozzarella, olive oil, and salami. · Formaggio e Pomodoro: Tomato, olive oil, and grated Parmesan All types of pizza are agreeable to basil leaves. Variations of pizzas are recognized if they are informed by the Neapolitan tradition of pizzas and are not in contrast with the rules of gastronomy, with judgment reserved to the Association's committee. The pizza, when eaten, should present the following characteristics: soft, well cooked, fragrant and enclosed in a high, soft edge of crust. Excerpt from the "Disciplinare" Manual: Art. 5. Characteristics of the final product a. Description of the product: «Pizza Napoletana» STG [Ed. an EU designation of an authentic regional product] is an oven made circularly shaped culinary product , of a variable diameter which should not exceed 35 cm, with a elevated border (crust) and with the central part covered with toppings. The central part should be 0.3 cm thick, and the crust 1-2 cm thick. The pizza as a whole should be soft, elastic, easily folded as would be a pamphlet. b. Aspect: «Pizza Napoletana» STG is characterized by a raised crust of golden color, typical of oven-made products. It is soft to the touch and taste, especially in the center of the toppings, where the red of the tomato stands out, and to which the oil or for the pizza marinara, the green of the oregano and the white of the garlic has perfectly amalgamated; In the case of the pizza Margherita, the white of the mozzarella should be in patches more or less close together, with the green of the basil leaves, more or less dark from the cooking process. The consistency should be soft, elastic, easily foldable. The product should be soft to the touch, with a characteristic taste deriving from the crust, presenting the typical taste of risen and cooked bread, mixed with the acidity of tomato, combined with the aroma, respectively of the oregano, garlic or basil, and with the flavor of the cooked mozzarella. The pizza, at the end of the cooking process, will emanate a characteristic aroma, at once perfumed and fragrant. There you have it. If you want to believe this author, go with the Neapolitan, it's my favorite type (if you're in NYC get it at Lombardi's, Grimaldi's, etc.). But if you want the best slice, go to NY Penn Station, to Don Pepe's near the Krispy Kreme. It's a secret, only 500,000 commuters know about it. It really is the best, though. And next time Tony's flipping your dough up in the air, ask him if his Neapolitan pie is certified by the VPN. You don't have to, but I just want you to get laughed at.