Italy's rich culture and food have stolen the hearts of the world. From pizza and pasta to wine and fashion, this country has found a way to share its culture worldwide. However, the world has only seen a slice of the vast Italian culture. Within the beautiful country, each region specializes in different cuisine variations, language, and styles of life that truly embody Italianità.
My family comes from the South of Italy, from the regions of Campagna and Lazio. Nonna was one of ten children born in Minturno, Italy, a small costal town between Rome and Naples. I never knew how different each region in Italy can be--and even within regions there is great diversity! I was having a conversation with one of my cousins, Stefano, who lives in Civitavecchia, about an hour from Rome, about Italian pizza. He laughed when I thought they all looked and tasted the same and said to me, "Aaa Giovanna, ci sono molti tipi di pizza tra le regione! E la Romana è la migliore" ("Aaa Giovanna, there are many different styles of pizza varying from region to region, and the Roman style is the best!"). Stefano loves gastronomy and Italy, and besides living in Italy his whole life and knowing true Italian cuisine, he also took courses on how to perfect the Roman style pizza. He explained to me the main differences between the Roman style pizza and the Neapolitan pizza; they vary vastly from ingredients, dough consistency, and cooking specifications. All pizza doughs contain a good amount of water because the more hydrated the dough, the easier it is to work with as it is lighter.
La pizza Romana
La pizza Romana, a typical pizza that can be found in Italy's region of Lazio differs from the Napoletana. Although the Romana and Napoletana pizzas are both made with flour, water, yeast, olive oil, topped with cheese and tomatoes they vary in shape, texture, and flavor. La Romana, as Stefano describes is crunchy and crispy. However, within the Lazio region, there are various types of pizza Romana: la tonda, in teglia, la palla, and la pinsa.
La tonda
A typical round pizza cooked in a wood oven. This type of pizza is common of restaurants in Rome, and can be considered an individual's pizza. The dough is made with olive oil, which makes the dough stretch easier, making the pizza thin and the crust crispy. An essential part of making the dough is allowing enough time for the dough to rise and rest; for la tonda, the dough rests for 24 hours. La tonda can be topped with ingredients of your choice "al gusto," which typically include tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, artichokes, or prosciutto.
(right: la napoletana, left: la tonda romana, made by Stafano, photo by Stefano) #napoli #lanapoletana #latonda #pizzaromana
In teglia
In teglia, means "by the slice." This pizza is good for picking a slice up on the go, it is good for parties and for sharing. La teglia, Stefano describes a big "canvas" that is more versatile and fun. The pizza can be split in sections to put different pizza toppings according to everyone's liking. This pizza is made in electric oven, making it more convenient and is baked in a pizza pan, unlike other pizzas that are placed directly onto the stone of the wood oven. The shape is a long rectangle, and the dough is more rigid. This pizza is thicker than other Italian pizzas and it is also crispy--the crust is perfectly crispy and the middle is fluffy. If you lift a slice, the pizza will not sag, but stands firm. This dough rises for 48 hours minimum! La teglia is Stefano's favorite!
La Palla & La Pinsa These two other pizzas are also typical of Rome. They are similar in that they both have an ovular shape, but la pinsa is smaller in size. The dough similarly, has to have optimal elasticity, meaning that olive oil and water levels must be abundant and just right. This pizza is cooked in a wood oven at 500-600 F for around 7-8 minutes making the pizza crispy and cooked through fully.
La Napoletana
La Napoletana, a pizza with UNESCO recognition stands as a symbol of Italy's pizza. Let's take a closer look at the pizza itself! The dough contains more water, making the pizza dough lighter and the crust thinner and softer. Like the other pizza doughs, La Napoletana must also rise for 24-48 hours. This pizza cooks in a wood oven at high heat temperatures of 800 to 1000 F for simply 90 seconds! Unlike La Romana, this pizza, when lifted does not stand alone--it falls. The main difference between La Napoletana and La Romana is that La Napoletana is more delicate and not crispy. The dough is so thin and cooked just right that the pizza itself is soft. Although toppings are endless, two of the most famous types of Napoletana pizza are La Margherita and the classic Napoletana. La Margherita, as the legend says, was created for Queen Margherita in 1889, and that the three colors of the flag are represented in the pizza: the red fresh tomatoes, the white mozzarella cheese, and the green fresh basil! On the other hand, la Napoletana is topped with tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and olive oil.
A special thank you to Stefano for his help in the creation of this blog post!
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