In the news
Italy has put together a series of rules to define what makes a true Neapolitan pizza. Two comments to article and rules. Given the article title ("Italy mulls pizza protection law") you'd be excuse to think these rules concern pizza making in general. They are instead intended to protect the classic Neapolitan pizza production style. While I'm all for protecting typical local products like wine or cheese I'm not really sure the same applies to recipes. I'm quite sure that even between the pizza makers who put together the rules a certain degree of recipe freedom exists. The Neapolitan style sure exists and some guidelines on how to achieve such a result are welcome, but rules? Not being very familiar with laws and the like, I haven't managed to understand if these rules are intended as something intended to certify "real Neapolitan pizza" or as a tool to prevent others from calling their pizza Neapolitan. I see no problem with the former but can't really imagine the latter.
i think that the real reason for this rules is a political one. Since 10 years a lot of italian proting have written rule about their product to defend the real ones.The problem of the pizza is bigger for two reason 1) the pizza is a recipe and not a "starter" product 2) the pizza is made in all the world becouse it is easy to do for everyone put something over a disk of dough.
I think that the right way to read the rules is that you can call pizza everything you want but not "vera pizza napoletana" (originally neapolitan pizza) that is a product that has a long history behind and is the most important recipe of my city.
Posted by:claudio | May 28, 2004 at 10:33 AM
Claudio is correct (ha ragione). It is a political matter. The Italians would like to protect pizza (and other things like Lambrusco, Parmiggiano-Reggiano, proscuitto di Parma) with a DOC designation. It is a cultural heritage and an economic matter. Just think how much they can get in taxes from the marco di bolli for that one.
So, to be called "pizza napoletana" even in Bologna, say, you would have to have the "certificato" to be authentic. Great marketing tactic! I wonder if anyone in the U.S. will qualify? I would love to get "real" pizza in the States.
Posted by:kpb | May 28, 2004 at 08:20 PM
I have just sent my comment on the proposal to the Italian agricultural ministry.
Unfortunately, This are not guideline but rules to follow. Technically, there are many mistakes in the text. They call for flour of 220-380W of strength. This implies that both medium and strong flour are allowed, when traditionally Neapolitan pizzas were made only with medium flour (220-240W). At the same time the indicate a rising time of 6-8 hours, but if you use a flour with 380W, you need more then 12 hours to allow it to be ready for baking. What is more, many Neapolitan pizzeria, instead allow longer proofing times, e.g. Da Michele at least 15 hours and Brandi at least 12.
The other point is that they only call for the use of Lievito di Birra (brewer Yeast), when some pizzerias (brandi for example) still use a natural leavening (CRISCITO). Also even in the old pizzeria using Brewer yeast, has been found from some researcher in 1996, that because in those rooms they have been fermenting dough for years and years, there is a bacterial micro flora that inoculate the daily dough and affect its properties over the 12+hours fermentation. A new pizzeria would definitely need a culture starter to have the same effect.
This is what I think, however you are invited to comment on the proposal by writing to qualita@politicheagricole.it
Posted by:Marco | May 29, 2004 at 12:56 PM
Marco, thanks for the absolutely instructive comment. I wasn't aware of a lot of the details you describe. Having read them, I agree with you: this new law looks like another Italian "pasticcio". Just immagine Da Michele or Brandi (two of the best Pizzerias in Naples for the non
-Neapolitan) not falling into the VPN certification system. It would be ridiculous! BTW am I wrong in thinking you're a pizzaiolo?
kpb: a sort of self-certification already exists. Here's a link to the list of members worldwide
http://www.verapizzanapoletana.org/vpn/vpn_frames-index.htm
Your marche da bollo comment is spot on. I'm still laughing about it.
Posted by:Alberto | May 29, 2004 at 10:33 PM
Alberto
I have trained as pizzaiuolo, but I would not think of myself to be a professional one. However I have done extensive research on Pizza Napoletana, and therefore I see in the disciplinare an inaccurate document.
Unfortunately, The "Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana" is also behind the disciplinare, or to be precise they are actually the one who have started all the process to get the disciplinare approved by gaining support of Comune di napoli and Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani.
Posted by:Marco | May 31, 2004 at 02:21 AM
For the actual low the pizza made by michele and brandi is illegal because they use a bleak vegetable oil instead of the better EVO oil :(
Posted by:claudio | June 11, 2004 at 04:56 PM