Tiramisu
Tiramisu ([tiɾamiˈsu], Italian spelling: Tiramisù;
lit. "pick me up" or "lift me up") is an Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers (Italian:Savoiardi)
dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone cheese, and
flavored with Marsala wine and cocoa.[1] The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of puddings,
cakes and other desserts.
History
There is
some debate regarding the origin of Tiramisu. It may have originated as a
variation of another layered dessert, Zuppa Inglese.[1] It is mentioned in Giovanni Capnist's
1983 cookbook I Dolci Del Veneto,[2] while Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary gives 1982 as the first mention of
the dessert.[3] Other sources report the creation of
the cake to have originated in the city of Siena.[4] Some confectioners were said to have
created it in honour of Cosimo III on the occasion of his visit to the
country.
Alternatively, accounts by Carminantonio Iannaccone and Nathan Lopez
(as researched and written about by The Washington Post) establish the creation of Tiramisu
by him on 24 December 1969 in Via Sottotreviso while he was head chef at
Treviso, near Venice.[5][6]
The translation of the name Italian tiramisù (tirami sù)
means "pick-me-up" (metaphorically, "make me happy"). This
may refer to thecaffeine in
the espresso and effect of cocoa used in the recipe.
Preparation
Tiramisu is
a layered dessert, consisting of alternating layers of coffee-soaked Savoiardi biscuits and sweet mixture of mascarpone cheese, eggs and sugar.
To prepare
the biscuit layer, the Savoiardi are soaked in espresso or strong coffee, often with an
addition of a flavorful liquor such as sweet Marsala wine or dark rum.
For the
mascarpone cheese layer, a mixture of egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine is
first prepared as a zabaione, to which the mascarpone cheese is
added. The egg whites are then beaten stiff and folded in to the mascarpone/egg
cream. This mixture is spread over the coffee-soaked biscuits. The layer is
then topped with a dusting of cocoa powder, as both a garnish and a bitter
counterpoint to the sweetened cheese mixture,[7] and more layers are added.
Countless
variations for Tiramisu exist. Some cooks use other cakes or sweet, yeasted
breads, such as panettone, in place of ladyfingers.[8] Other cheese mixtures are used as
well, some containing raw eggs, and others containing no eggs at all. Other
liquors are frequently substituted for the traditional Marsala wine in both the
coffee and the cheese mixture, including dark rum, Madeira, port,brandyor Irish Cream such as Bailey's .
Panna cotta
Panna
cotta (from Italian cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. It is
generally from the Northern Italian region of Piedmont, although it is eaten all over Italy, where it is served with wild berries, caramel, chocolate sauce or fruit coulis.
It is not known exactly how or when this dessert came to be, but some theories
suggest that cream, for which mountainous Northern Italy is famous, was
historically eaten plain or sweetened with fruit or hazelnuts. Earlier recipes for the dish did
not directly mention gelatin, but instead included a step in which fish bones
were boiled; this is now known to extract collagen from the bones, which turns to
gelatin.
Sugar, later a main ingredient, would not have been widely available
as it was an expensive imported commodity. After years this treat evolved into
what is now a gelatin dessert, flavoured with vanilla and topped with fruit or spices, and
served chilled.
Macaroons
A macaroon (/mækəˈruːn/ mak-ə-roon) is a type of light, baked confection, described as either
small cakes or meringue-like cookies depending on their consistency. The
original macaroon was a "small sweet cake consisting largely of ground
almonds"[1]similar to Italian amaretti.
The English
word macaroon and French macaron come from the Italian maccarone or maccherone. This word is itself derived from ammaccare,
meaning crush or beat,[2] used here in reference to the almond
paste which is the principal ingredient.
Most recipes
call for egg
whites (usually whipped to stiff peaks), almonds, coconut, or nuts.[3] Almost all call for sugar. Macaroons
are sometimes baked on edible rice
paper placed on a baking tray.
Origins
The earliest
recorded macaroon recipes are for the almond meringue variety similar to amaretti, with a crisp
crust and a softer interior. They were made from egg whites and almond paste. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management[4] gives a recipe for a macaroon of this
kind.
The name of
the cookie comes from an Italian word meaning paste, maccarone. About the origin, culinary
historians claim that macaroons can be traced to an Italian monastery of the 9th century. The monks came to
France in 1533, joined by the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henri II. Later, two Benedictine nuns, Sister
Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth, came to Nancy seeking asylum during the French Revolution.
The two women paid for their
housing by baking and selling macaroon cookies, and
thus became known as the
"Macaroon Sisters".[5] Recipes for macaroons (also spelled
"mackaroon," "maccaroon" and "mackaroom") appear
in recipe books at least as early as 1725 (Robert Smith's Court Cookery, or the
Complete English Cook).
Italian Jews
later adopted the cookie because it has no flour or leavening (macaroons are
leavened by egg whites) and can be enjoyed during the eight-day observation of Passover. It was introduced to other European
Jews and became popular as a year-round sweet.[5] Over time, coconut was added to the ground almonds and,
in certain recipes, replaced them. Potato starch is also sometimes included in the
recipe, to give the macaroons more body.
Regional varieties
Scottish
The Scottish macaroon is a sweet
confection with a thick velvety centre covered in chocolate and topped with
roasted coconut. Traditionally they were made with cold leftovers of mashed
potatoes and sugar loaf. When the macaroon bar became commercial the recipe no
longer used mashed potato because of shelf life limitations.
The modern
macaroon is made from a combination (depending on producer) of: Sugar, Glucose,
Water and Egg White. These ingredients make a fondant centre.
This recipe was reportedly discovered by accident in 1931, when confectioner
John Justice Lees was said to have botched the formula for making a
chocolate fondant bar and threw coconut over it in disgust, producing the first
macaroon bar.[6]
North
American
In North
America, the coconut macaroon is the better known variety. Commercially made
coconut macaroons are generally dense, moist and sweet, and often dipped in
chocolate. Homemade macaroons and varieties produced by smaller bakeries are
commonly light and fluffy. Macaroons made with coconuts are often piped
out with a star shaped tip, whereas
macaroons made with nuts are more likely shaped individually due to the
stiffness of the dough. Because of their lack of wheat and leavening
ingredients, macaroons are often consumed during Passover in many Jewish homes.
Coconut macaroon
A coconut macaroon is a type of
macaroon most commonly found in Australia, the United States, The Netherlands (Kokos makronen) and Germany, and is directly related to the Scottish macaroon. Its
principal ingredients are egg whites, sugar and shredded dried coconut. It is
closer to a soft cookie than its meringue cousin, and is equally sweet.
Many
varieties of coconut macaroons are dipped inchocolate, typically milk chocolate. Versions dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate are also becoming more commonly available. Nuts are
often added to coconut macaroons, typically almond slivers, but occasionally pecans, cashews or other nuts. In Australia, a blob of raspberry jam or
glacé cherries are often concealed in the centre of the macaroon prior to
cooking.
Dominican
Macaroons in
the Dominican Republic are very dark. Grated coconut is
mixed with ginger and cinnamon.
French
In France,
the coconut macaroon is known as the "congolais".[7][8]Another name for the coconut macaroon
is "le rocher à la noix de
coco". The
almond flour version is simply called "le macaron" in French.
Spanish
Puerto
Rican
In Puerto
Rico, coconut
macaroons are called besitos de coco (little coconut kisses). A few
variations of besitos de coco can be found on the island, the most
popular ones including lemon
zest and vanilla as additional ingredients.
Indian
Ireland
A macaroon chocolate
bar is made by Wilton Candy in Co.
Kildare, Ireland. The description on the packaging is
"macaroon pieces in Irish milk chocolate." It was first made in 1937.[10]
Turkish
Acıbadem kurabiyesi is a traditional Turkish cookie made of almonds, sugar and egg whites. The
traditional recipes include a small amount of bitter almonds, which gives this
cookie its name. Because bitter almonds are not readily available, almond
extract is typically used as a substitute. These cookies are part of the
stock-in trade of almost every bakery in Turkey, as they are seldom made at home.
Carta
da musica/pane carasau
It is thin
and crisp, usually in the form of a dish half a meter wide. It is made by
taking baked flat bread (made of durum wheat flour, salt, yeast and water), then separating it into
two sheets which are baked again. The recipe is very ancient and was conceived
forshepherds, who used to stay far from home for
months at a time. Pane carasau can last up to one year if it is kept
dry. The bread can be eaten either dry or wet (with water, wine, or sauces).
A similar,
yeast-free bread is called carta di musica in Italian, meaning sheet music, in reference to its large and paper-thin
shape, which is so thin before cooking that a sheet of music can be read
through it.[1]
Remains of
the bread were found in archeological excavations of nuraghi (traditional Sardinian stone
buildings) and it was therefore already eaten on the island prior to 1000 BC.
The name of
the bread comes from the Sardinian word “carasare”, referring to the crush of
bread.
History
Pane carasau is ancient flat bread also
known as “carta
musica” (sheet music)
due to its resemblance to the parchment paper that sacred music was written on.
Traces of the bread were found in the nuraghi (traditional Sardinian stone
buildings) and it was therefore already in existence before 1000 BC.
Pane carasau, from the Sardinian “carasare”, which refers to the crush of bread, is
without a doubt the most famous Sardinian bread in the world. Made from hard
wheat bran (or semola
di grano duro in
Italian), salt, yeast and water, it was originally made using a labor intensive
process that require the work of three women.
After having prepared the dough, it had to be rolled out
into very thin sheets that were baked in a very hot oven (840°-930°F) until it puffed
up like a ball.
Still today, these disks of bread have to be removed
from the oven, and with great skill, cut along their circumference and divided
into sheets. The sheets are then stacked one on top of another with the pourous
side facing the outside. The bread is then baked another time to obtain its
crispiness and characteristic color, orcarasatura.
In the past, having been prepared for the sheepherders
that had to attend their herds, the bread was folded in half during cooking,
when the bread was still flexible, to reduce its size and allowing for it to
fit in a knap sack.
Panettone
Panettone (pronounced /ˌpænəˈtoʊni/, Italian: [panetˈtoːne]) is a type of sweet bread loaf originally from Milan (in Milanese it is called "paneton"
Milanese dialect (pronunciation IPA: /paneˈtuŋ/)),[1] usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New
Year in Italy, southeastern France, Brazil, Peru, Malta, Germany and Switzerland, and is one of the symbols of the
city of Milan. In South
America, especially
in Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay,Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, and Chile, it is a Christmas
dinner staple and in some places replaces roscón de reyes/bolo
rei (King
cake).
It has a cupola shape, which extends from a cylindrical base and is usually about
12–15 cm high for a panettone weighing 1 kg. Other bases may be used,
such as an octagon, or a frustum with star section shape more common
to pandoro. It is made
during a long process that involves the curing of the dough, which is acidic,
similar to sourdough. The proofing process alone takes several days,
giving the cake its distinctive fluffy characteristics.
It contains candied
orange, citron, and lemon zest, as well as raisins, which are added
dry and not soaked. Many other variations are available such as plain or with
chocolate. It is served in slices, vertically cut, accompanied with sweet hot
beverages or a sweet wine, such as Asti or Moscato d'Asti. In
some regions of Italy, it is served with crema di mascarpone, a cream made from mascarpone, eggs, sometimes dried or candied
fruits, and typically a sweet liqueur such as amaretto; if mascarpone cheese is unavailable, zabaione is sometimes used as a substitute.
Efforts are
under way to obtain Protected
Designation of Origin and Denominazione di origine controllata status for this product, but, as of
late 2008, this had not occurred.[2] Italian Agriculture Minister Paolo
De Castro was looking at ways to protect the
real Italian cakes from growing competition in Latin America and whether they
can take action at the World Trade Organization.
History
In the early
20th century, two enterprising Milanese bakers began to produce panettone in
large quantities in the rest of Italy. In 1919,Angelo Motta started producing his eponymous brand
of cakes.
It was also Motta who revolutionised the traditional panettone by
giving it its tall domed shape by making the dough rise three times, or almost
20 hours, before cooking, giving it its now-familiar light texture. The recipe
was adapted shortly after by another baker, Gioacchino Alemagna, around 1925,
who also gave his name to a popular brand that still exists today. The stiff
competition between the two that then ensued led to industrial production of
the cake. Nestlé took over the brands together in the
late 1990s, but Bauli,[3] an Italian bakery company based in Verona, has acquired Motta and Alemagna
from Nestlé.[4]
As a result
of the fierce competition, by the end of World War II, panettone was cheap
enough for anyone and soon became the country's leading Christmas sweet.
Northern Italian immigrants to Argentina and Brazil also brought their love of panettone,
and panettone is enjoyed for Christmas with hot
cocoa or liquor during the holiday season,
which became a mainstream tradition in those countries. In some places, it
replaces the King
cake.
In
Argentina, Brazil, Chile (see: Pan
de Pascua), Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Peru (known in Spanish as
"Panetón" or "Pan Dulce"). Peru's Antonio D'Onofrio, son of
immigrants hailing from Caserta, Italy, spawned his own brand using the
Alemagna formula, which he licensed along with the packaging style. This brand
is now also owned by Nestlé and exported throughout Latin
America. In recent years, Brazilian Panettone have increased in quality and in
popularity due to their low cost and abundance.
Although
panettone is quintessentially Milanese, it is more popular today in central and
southern Italy, which accounts for 55% of sales, than in the Milan region in
the north, with 45% of sales. Italian bakers produce some 117 million panettone
and pandoro cakes every Christmas — worth
579 million euros
Origins
In Italy the
panettone comes with an often varied history, but one that invariably states
that its birthplace is in Milan. The word "panettone" derives from
the Italian word "panetto", a small loaf cake. The augmentative
Italian suffix "-one" (pronounced "o-neh") changes the
meaning to "large cake".
The origins
of this cake appear to be ancient, dating back to the Roman Empire, when ancient Romans sweetened a
type of leavened cake with honey. Throughout the ages this "tall, leavened
fruitcake" makes cameo appearances in the arts: It is shown in a
sixteenth-century painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder and is possibly mentioned in a
contemporary recipe book written by Bartolomeo Scappi, personal chef to popes and emperors during the time of Charles V.
The
first recorded association of Panettone with Christmas can be found in the
writings of 18th century illuminist Pietro Verri. He refers to it as "Pane
di Tono" (luxury cake).
Legends
Though the
etymology of the word 'panettone' is rather mundane, three more complex and
fanciful folk etymologies have arisen.[6] It is also thought that one of the
ecclesiastical brothers, Fr. Antonio, who always wore the proper hat, was fond
of this Pane. The ecclesiastical hat Pane Tone was later adopted as the shape,
which gave rise to Panettone. This derivation received credence and
acceptability at the turn of the century, and is likely to be the foreunner of
the more recent Christmas cake.[citation needed] Gianrian Carli in "Il
Caffe" makes passing reference to Panettone in 1850 in discussion with
Pietro Verri and alludes to a clerical hat. Prof. S Reynders. Dipartimento di
Scienze del Linguaggio, Università Ca'Foscari(1987)
One suggests
that the word derives from the Milanese, "pan del ton," meaning
"cake of luxury."
Another
states that a 15th-century legend from Milan gives the invention to the
nobleman falconer Ughetto Atellani, who loved Adalgisa,
the daughter of a poor baker named Toni. To help her, the nobleman disguised
himself as a baker and invented a rich cake to which he added flour and yeast,
butter, eggs, dried raisins, and candied lemon and orange peel.[citation needed]
The duke of
Milan, Ludovico il Moro Sforza (1452–1508), agreed to the marriage,
which was held in the presence of Leonardo
da Vinci, and
encouraged the launch of the new bread-like cake: Pan de Toni (or Toni's cake).
Another
legend credits the cake's being invented in the court of the Sforzas, but with
the following story:
It was
Christmas and the court cook had no dessert to offer. So the guests were given
a sweet bread baked by a mere kitchen boy, called Toni, which won general
praise. Rather than steal the praise for himself, the cook congratulated his
assistant and named it after him.
The third,
says that the invention was the work of sister Ughetta, which in Milanese means
raisins.
However, all
of the above "legends" that involve the concept of a person named
"Toni" are specious and not credible, and are clearly the work of
English-speaking sources and not Italians. Tony or Toni are not Italian
nicknames, but English nicknames for "Anthony" (also an English
name), and the etymology of the word "panettone" does not contain a
person's name. It is "panetto," meaning "loaf," with the
augmentative Italian suffix "-one" that lends the connotation of
something "large."
Ciabatta
Ciabatta (Italian pronunciation: [tʃaˈbatta],
literally slipper bread) is an Italian white
bread made from wheat
flour and yeast. Ciabatta is somewhat elongated,
broad and flat and is baked in many variations.
Italy
Ciabatta was
first produced in Liguria, but at least one type of ciabatta
can be found in nearly every region of Italy nowadays.
The ciabatta
from the area encompassing Lake Como has a crisp crust, a somewhat soft,
porous texture, and is light to the touch. The ciabatta found in Tuscany, Umbria, and Marche varies from bread that has a firm
crust and dense crumb, to bread that has a crisper crust and more open texture.
When made
with whole wheat flour, it is known as ciabatta integrale. In Rome, it is often seasoned with olive oil, salt, and marjoram. When milk is added to the dough, it becomes ciabatta al latte.
Argentina
In Argentina, sandwiches made of ciabattas are very popular,
especially those containing minute steak.
United States
Ciabatta
bread was introduced to the United Kingdom in 1985 by Marks & Spencer, then
brought to America in 1987 by Orlando Bakery, a Cleveland firm.[1] They brought over 3 bakers from Italy
to develop the product and the mass production process. They successfully
introduced a fresh bread, then later, a frozen version. It was quickly copied
throughout the United States.
The more
open-crumbed form, which is usual in the United States, is made from a very wet
dough, often requiring machine-kneading, and a biga or sourdough starter.
Focaccia
Focaccia (Italian pronunciation: [foˈkattʃa]) is a flat oven-baked Italian bread,[1] which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients.
Focaccia is
popular in Italy and is usually seasoned with olive
oil and salt, and sometimes herbs, and may be topped with onion,
cheese and meat, or flavored with a number of vegetables.
Focaccia doughs are similar in style and texture to pizza doughs, consisting of high-gluten
flour, oil, water, salt and yeast. It is typically rolled out or
pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in a stone-bottom or hearth oven. Bakers often puncture the bread
with a knife to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread.
Also common
is the practice of dotting the bread. This creates multiple wells in the bread
by using a finger or the handle of a utensil to poke the unbaked dough. As a
way to preserve moisture in the bread, olive
oil is then spread over the dough, by
hand or with apastry brush prior to rising and baking. In the
northern part of Italy, lard will sometimes be added to the dough,
giving the focaccia a softer, slightly flakier texture. Focaccia recipes are
widely available, and with the popularity of bread
machines, many
cookbooks now provide versions of dough recipes that do not require hand kneading.
Focaccia can
be used as a side to many meals, as a base for pizza, or as sandwich bread.
Etymology and regional variants
In ancient Rome, panis focacius[1] was a flat bread baked on the hearth.[2] The word is derived from the Latin focus meaning "hearth, place for
baking."[3] The basic recipe is thought by some
to have originated with the Etruscans or ancient Greeks, but today it is widely associated with Ligurian cuisine.[4]
As the
tradition spread, the different dialects and diverse local ingredients resulted
in a large variety of bread (some may even be considered cake). Due to the
number of small towns and hamlets dotting the coast of Liguria, the focaccia
recipe has fragmented into countless variations (from the biscuit-hard focaccia
of Camogli to the oily softness of the one made
in Voltri),
with some bearing little resemblance to its original form.
The most extreme
example is the specialty "focaccia col formaggio" (focaccia with
cheese) which is made in Recco,
near Genoa. Other than the name, this Recco version bears no
resemblance to other focaccia varieties, having a cailléand
cheese filling sandwiched between two layers of paper-thin dough. It is even
being considered for European Union PGI status. Regional variations also
exist, such as focaccia dolce (sweet focaccia), popular in some
parts of north-western Italy, consisting of a basic focaccia base and sprinkled
lightly with sugar, or including raisins, honey, or other sweet ingredients.
Focaccia is
present in many variants in Italy itself, for example the focaccia alla genovese, originated in Genoa, the focaccia alla barese, from Bari, or the focaccia alla messinese, from Messina. Another widespread variation is the Focaccia Barese, common in the provinces of Bari, Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto. It usually comes in three
variations: classic focaccia with fresh tomatoes and olives, potato focaccia with potato slices 5 mm thick and white Focaccia with salt grains and rosemary. Some other variations include peppers, onions, eggplant or other vegetables.
In Burgundy,
focaccia is called "foisse" or "fouaisse", and in
Catalonia, Provence and Languedoc it's "fogassa" or, more commonly,
the French "fougasse". In Argentina, it is widely consumed under the
name fugazza, derived from fugàssa in the native language of Argentina's many Ligurian
immigrants. The Spaniards call it "hogaza".
In
American-English, it is sometimes referred to as focaccia bread. The Sicilian-style pizza, and the Roman pizza bianca (white pizza) can be considered a
variant of focaccia. Focaccia is used extensively as a sandwich bread outside of Italy.
Pizza
Pizza (
i/ˈpiːtsə/, Italian
pronunciation: [ˈpittsa]) is an oven-baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings. Pizza was originally invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has
since become popular in many parts of the world.[1]An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a
"pizzeria". Many varieties of pizza exist worldwide, along with
several dish variants based upon pizza. In 2009, upon Italy's request, Neapolitan pizza was safeguarded in the European Union as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed dish.
History
Pizza
(Italian pronunciation: [ˈpittsa], from the Latin verb pìnsere, to press and from the Greek pēktos, πηκτός, meaning "solid"
or "clotted") is Greek in origin (see also pitta).
The ancient Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese. In Byzantine Greek, the word was spelled πίτα, pita, or πίττα, pitta, meaning pie. The word has also
spread to Romanian as pită, Turkish as pide,[2] and Bulgarian, Croatianand Serbian as pita, Albanian as pite and Modern Hebrew pittāh.[3] The Romans developed placenta, a sheet of dough topped with cheese
and honey and flavored with bay leaves.
Modern pizza originated in Italy as
the Neapolitan flatbread.
A popular
urban legend holds that the archetypal pizza, Pizza Margherita, was invented in
1889, when the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizzaiolo
Raffaele Esposito to create a pizza in honor of the visiting Queen Margherita.
Of the three different pizzas he created, the Queen strongly preferred a pie
swathed in the colors of the Italian flag: red (tomato), green (basil), and
white (mozzarella). Supposedly, this kind of pizza was then named after the
Queen as Pizza Margherita,[4] though recent research disproves this
legend.[5]
Although the
word "pizza" was documented the first time in 977
in Gaeta[1] and successively in different parts
of Central and South Italy, the history of the dish itself is not very clear or
well documented.
The
precursor of pizza was probably the focaccia, a flat bread known to the Romans as
"panis focacius", to which toppings were then added.[2]
Etymology
The term
"pizza" first appeared "in a Latin text from the southern
Italian town of Gaeta in 997 AD, which claims that a tenant
of certain property is to give the bishop of Gaeta 'duodecim pizze' ['twelve
pizzas'] every Christmas Day, and another twelve every Easter Sunday".[1][3]
The origins of the word are uncertain
and disputed. Suggested etymologies include:
The Ancient Greek word πικτή (pikte), "fermented
pastry", which in Latin became "picta", and Late Latin pitta > pizza. See Greek pitta
bread and Apulia and Calabria cuisine "Pitta"
The Ancient Greek word πίσσα (pissa, Attic πίττα, pitta), "pitch",[4][5] or ptea, "bran", (pétítés,
"bran bread").[6]
The Latin
word “pinsa”, the past participle of the verb “pinsere” which means to pound or
to crush and may refer to the flattening out of the dough.
The Latin
word “picea” which describes the blackening of bread in the oven or the black
ash that gathers at the bottom of the oven.
The Italian
word “pizzicare” meaning “to pluck” and refers to pizza being “plucked” quickly
from the oven (“Pizzicare” was derived from an older Italian word
"pizzo" meaning “point”).[7]
The Old High German word “bizzo” or “pizzo” meaning
“mouthful” (related to the English words “bit” and “bite”) and was brought to
Italy in the middle of the 6th century AD by the invading Lombards.[8] This is the origin favored by the Oxford English Dictionary though the entry notes that it is
unattested.[9]
Origins
Foods
similar to pizza have been prepared since the neolithic age. Records of people adding other
ingredients to bread to make it more flavorful can be found throughout ancient
history.
In Sardinia, French and Italian archaeologists
have found bread baked over 7,000 years ago. According to Professor Philippe
Marinval, the local islanders leavened this bread.[10]
The Ancient Greeks had a flat bread called plakous (πλακοῦς, gen. πλακοῦντος - plakountos)[11] which was flavored with toppings like
herbs, onion, and garlic.
In the 1st
century BCE, the Latin poet Virgil refers to the ancient idea of bread
as an edible plate or trencher for other foods in this extract from
his Latin epic poem, the Aeneid(Book
VII, 112-116,[12] trans. A. S. Kline ):
When the poor fare drove them to set
their teeth
into the thin discs, the rest being
eaten, and to break
the fateful circles of bread boldly
with hands and jaws,
not sparing the quartered cakes,
Iulus, jokingly,
said no more than: ‘Ha! Are we eating
the tables too?’
These
flatbreads, like pizza, are from the Odyssey area and other examples of flat
breads that survive to this day from the ancient Mediterranean world are focaccia (which may date back as far as the
Ancient Etruscans), coca (which has sweet and savory
varieties) from Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, the Greek Pita or Pide in Turkish.Lepinja or Trafalgar in the Balkans or Piadina in the Romagna part of Emilia-Romagna
in Italy.[13]
Similar flat
breads in other parts of the world include the Indian Paratha (in which fat is incorporated), the
Central and South Asian Naan (leavened) and Roti (unleavened), the Sardinian Carasau, Spianata, Guttiau, Pistoccu and Finnish Rieska.
Also worth note is
that throughout Europe there are many similar pies based on the idea of
covering flat pastry with cheese, meat, vegetables and seasoning such as the
Alsatian Flammkuchen, German Zwiebelkuchen, and French Quiche.
In 16th
century Naples a Galette flatbread was referred to as a pizza. A dish of the poor people, it was
sold in the street and was not considered a kitchen recipe for a long time.[14] This was later replaced by oil,
tomatoes (after Europeans came into contact with the Americas) or fish. In
1843, Alexandre Dumas, père described the diversity of pizza
toppings.[15]
An oft-recounted story holds that in
June 1889, to honour the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, the Neapolitan pizzamaker Raffaele Esposito created
the "Pizza Margherita," a pizza garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil, to represent the
colors of the Italian flag.[16]
Pizza is now a type of bread and tomato
dish, often served with cheese. However, until the late nineteenth or early
twentieth century, the dish was sweet, not savory, and earlier versions which
were savory more resembled the flat breads now known as schiacciata.[17] Pellegrino Artusi's classic early twentieth century
cookbook, La Scienza in cucina e l'Arte di
mangiar bene gives three recipes for pizza, all of
which are sweet.[18] However, by 1927, Ada Boni's collection
of regional cooking includes a recipe using tomatoes and mozzarella.[19]
Innovation
The innovation that gave us the flat bread we call pizza was the use of tomato as a topping. For some time after the tomato was brought
to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, it was believed
by many Europeans to be poisonous (as are some other fruits of the nightshade family). However, by the late 18th century, it was
common for the poor of the area around Naples to add tomato to their yeast-based flat bread, and so
the pizza began.] The dish gained in popularity, and soon pizza became a
tourist attraction as visitors to Naples ventured into the poorer areas of the
city to try the local specialty.
Until about
1830, pizza was sold from open-air stands and out of pizza bakeries. Pizzerias
keep this old tradition alive today. It is possible to enjoy pizza wrapped in
paper and a drink sold from open-air stands outside the premises. Antica Pizzeria
Port'Alba in Naples is widely regarded as the
city's first pizzeria.[20] It started producing pizzas for
peddlers in 1738 but expanded to a pizza restaurant with chairs and tables in
1830. It still serves pizza from the same premises today.
A
description of pizza in Naples around 1835 is given by the French writer and
food expert Alexandre Dumas, père in his work Le Corricolo, Chapter VIII.[15] He writes that pizza was the only
food of the humble people in Naples during winter and that "in Naples
pizza is flavored with oil, lard, tallow, cheese, tomato, or anchovies."
Purists,
like the famous pizzeria “Da Michele” in Via C. Sersale (founded 1870),[21] consider there to be only two true
pizzas — the Marinara and the Margherita — and that is
all they serve. These two "pure" pizzas are the ones preferred by
many Italians today.
The Marinara is the older of the two and has a
topping of tomato, oregano, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
It is named “marinara” because it was traditionally the food prepared by
"la marinara", the seaman's wife, for her seafaring husband when he
returned from fishing trips in the Bay of Naples
The
Margherita, topped with modest amounts of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and
fresh basil is widely attributed to baker Raffaele Esposito. Esposito worked at the
pizzeria "Pietro... e basta così" (literally "Peter... and
that's enough") which was established in 1880 and is still operating under
the name "Pizzeria Brandi." In 1889, he baked three different pizzas
for the visit of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy. The Queen's favorite was a pizza evoking the colors of the Italian
flag — green (basil leaves), white (mozzarella), and red (tomatoes).[16] This combination was named Pizza
Margherita in her honor.
"Associazione
Verace Pizza Napoletana"[22] ("True Neapolitan Pizza
Association"), which was founded in 1984, has set the very specific rules
that must be followed for an authentic Neapolitan pizza.
These include that the
pizza must be baked in a wood-fired, domed oven; that the base must be
hand-kneaded and must not be rolled with a pin or prepared by any mechanical
means (i pizzaioli — the pizza makers — make the pizza by rolling it
with their fingers) and that the pizza must not exceed 35 centimetres in
diameter or be more than one-third of a centimetre thick at the centre. The
association also selects pizzerias all around the world to produce and spread
the verace pizza napoletana philosophy and method.
There are
many famous pizzerias in Naples where these traditional pizzas can be found
like Da Michele, Port'Alba, Brandi, Di Matteo, Sorbillo, Trianon and Umberto
(founded: 1916).[23] Most of them are in the ancient
historical centre of Naples. These pizzerias will go even further than the
specified rules by, for example, only using "San Marzano" tomatoes
grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius and only drizzling the olive oil and
adding tomato topping in a clockwise direction.
The pizza
bases in Naples are soft and pliable. In Rome they prefer a thin and crispy
base. Another popular form of pizza in Italy is "pizza al taglio" which is pizza baked in
rectangular trays with a wide variety of toppings and sold by weight.
In December
2009, the pizza napoletana was granted Traditional Speciality Guaranteed status by the European Union.[24]
In 1990 the
world's largest pizza was made in South Africa at the Norwood supermarket, the
pizza weighed 12.9 tons.
Pizza in United States
Pizza first
made its appearance in the United States with the arrival of Italian
immigrants in the late 19th century and was very popular among large Italian
populations in New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
In the late 19th century, pizza was
introduced by peddlers who walked up and down the streets with a metal washtub
of pizzas on their heads, selling their wares at two cents a chew. It was not
long until small cafes and groceries began offering pizzas to their
Italian-American communities.
The first
printed reference to "pizza" served in the US is a 1904 article in
the Boston Journal.[26] Giovanni and Gennero Bruno came to
America from Naples Italy in 1903 to introduce the Neopolitian Pizza. Vincent
(Jimmy) Bruno (Giovanni's son) went on to open the first Pizzaria in "The
Loop" in Chicago at 421 S. Wabash Ave, the Yacht Club.
Gennaro Lombardi
opened a grocery store in 1897 which was later established as the
"said" first pizzeria in America in 1905 with New York's issuance of the mercantile
license. An employee of his, Antonio Totonno Pero, began making pizza for the
store to sell that same year.
The price for a pizza was five cents but, since
many people could not afford the cost of a whole pie, they would instead say
how much they could pay and they were given a slice corresponding to the amount
offered. In 1924, Totonno left Lombardi's to open his own pizzeria on Coney Island called Totonno's
While the
original Lombardi's closed its doors in 1984, it was reopened in 1994 just down
the street and is run by Lombardi's grandson.
Pizza was
brought to the Trenton area of New Jersey with Joe's Tomato Pies opening in
1910, followed soon by Papa's Tomato Pies in 1912. In 1936, De Lorenzo's Tomato Pieswas opened.
While Joe's Tomato Pies has closed, both Papa's
and Delorenzo's have been run by the same families since their openings and
remain among the most popular pizzas in the area. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Connecticut, was another early pizzeria which
opened in 1925 (after the owner served pies from local carts and bakeries for
20–25 years) and is famous for its New Haven style Clam Pie.
Frank Pepe's
nephew Sal Consiglio opened a competing store, Sally's Apizza, on the other end of the block, in
1938. Both establishments are still run by descendants of the original family.
When Sal died, over 2,000 people attended his wake, and the New York Times ran a half-page memoriam. The D'Amore
family introduced pizza to Los Angeles in 1939.
Before the 1940s, pizza consumption was limited
mostly to Italian immigrants and their descendants. The international
breakthrough came after World War II. Allied troops occupying Italy, weary of
their rations, were constantly on the lookout for good food.
They discovered
the pizzeria and local bakers were hard-pressed to satisfy the demand from the
soldiers. The American troops involved in the Italian campaign took their
appreciation for the dish back home, touted by "veterans ranging from the
lowliest private to Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ric Riccardo
pioneered what became known as the "Chicago-style" deep dish pizza when, in 1943, he and Ike Sewell opened Pizzeria Uno in Chicago. In 1948, the first commercial
pizza-pie mix — ‘Roman Pizza Mix‘ — was produced in Worcester, Mass., by Frank A. Fiorillo. The introduction of a 1957 broadcast on Canadian television documents the dawn of pizza's North
American success.
Chain
restaurants sprang up with pizza's rising popularity.
Leading early pizza
chains were Shakey's Pizza, founded in 1954 in Sacramento, California, Pizza Hut, founded in 1958 in
Wichita, Kansas, and Josey's Pizza founded in Newnan, Georgia in 1943. Later entrant restaurant
chains to the dine-in pizza market were Bertucci's, Happy Joe's, Monical's Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen, Godfather's Pizza, and Round Table Pizza.[27]
Today, the
American pizza business is dominated by companies that specialize in pizza
delivery, such as Domino's, Papa John's Pizza, Giordano's Pizza, Pizza Ranch, Mazzio's, and Godfather's Pizza. Pizza Hut has shifted its emphasis away from pizza parlors and toward
home delivery. [28]Another recent development is the
take-and-bake pizzeria, such as Papa Murphy's.
Cooking methods and ingredients
Cooking
In
restaurants, pizza can be baked in an oven with stone bricks above the heat
source, an electric deck oven, a conveyor
belt oven or, in the case of more
expensive restaurants, a wood- or coal-fired brick
oven.
On deck ovens,
the pizza can be slid into the oven on a long paddle, called a peel, and baked directly on the hot
bricks or baked on a screen (a round metal grate, typically aluminum). When
made at home, it can be baked on a pizza
stone in a regular oven to reproduce the
effect of a brick oven.
Another option is grilled
pizza, in which the
crust is baked directly on a barbecue grill. Greek
pizza, like
Chicago-style pizza, is baked in a pan rather than directly on the bricks of
the pizza oven.
Crust
The bottom
of the pizza, called the "crust", may vary widely according to
style—thin as in a typical hand-tossed pizza or Roman pizza, or thick as in a
typical pan pizza or Chicago-style pizza. It is traditionally plain, but may
also be seasoned with garlic or herbs, or stuffed with cheese.
Cheese
The most popular cheeses to use on pizza are mozzarella, provolone, cheddar and parmesan. Romano and Ricotta are often used as toppings and processed cheese
manufactured specifically for pizza is used in mass-produced environments.
Processed pizza cheese is manufactured to produce preferable qualities like
browning, melting, stretchiness and fat and moisture content. Many studies and
experiments have analyzed the impact of vegetable oil, manufacturing and
culture processes, denatured whey proteins and other changes to creating the
ideal and economical pizza cheese.
In 1997 it was estimated that annual
production of pizza cheese was 2 billion pounds in the US and 200 million
pounds in Europe.
Toppings
Myriad
toppings are used on pizzas, including, but not limited to:
Pizza types
Italian
Neapolitan
Neapolitan pizza (pizza napoletana): Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are typically made with tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese. They can be made with ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and mozzarella di bufala Campana, made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state (this mozzarella is protected with its own European protected designation of origin).[6]
According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana,[7] the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of wheat flour (type 0 or 00, or a mixture of both), natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. For proper results, strong flour with high protein content (as used for bread-making rather than cakes) must be used.
The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine, and may be no more than 3 millimetres (0.12 in) thick. The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a 485 °C (905 °F) stone oven with an oak-wood fire.[8]
When cooked, it should be crispy, tender and fragrant. There are three official variants: pizza marinara, which is made with tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil, pizza Margherita, made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil, and pizza Margherita extra made with tomato, mozzarella from Campania in fillets, basil and extra virgin olive oil.
The pizza napoletana is a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (Specialità Tradizionale Garantita, STG) product in Europe.
Lazio
Lazio style: Pizza in Lazio (Rome), as well as in many other parts of Italy, is available in two different styles. Take-away shops sellpizza rustica or pizza al taglio. This pizza is cooked in long, rectangular baking pans and relatively thick (1–2 cm). The pizza is often cooked in an electric oven.
It is usually cut with scissors or a knife and sold by weight. In pizzerias, pizza is served in a dish in its traditional round shape. It has a thin, crisp base quite different from the thicker and softer Neapolitan style base. It is usually cooked in awood-fired oven, giving the pizza its unique flavor and texture.
In Rome, a pizza napoletana is topped with tomato, mozzarella, anchovies and oil (thus, what in Naples is called pizza romana, in Rome is called pizza napoletana).
Other types of Lazio-style pizza include:
Pizza romana: tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, oregano, oil
Pizza capricciosa: mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, artichokes, cooked ham, olives, oil
Pizza quattro formaggi ("four cheese pizza"): tomatoes, and the cheeses mozzarella, stracchino, fontina, and gorgonzola. Sometimes ricotta is swapped for one of the last three.
Pizza bianca In Rome, the term pizza bianca refers to a type of bread topped with olive oil, salt and, occasionally, rosemary sprigs. It is also a Roman style to add figs to the pizza, the result being known as pizza e fichi
Pizza alla casalinga ("Grandma pizza") consists of a thin layer of dough which is stretched into an oiled, square "Sicilian" pan, topped sparingly with shredded mozzarella, crushed uncooked canned tomatoes, chopped garlic and olive oil, and baked until the top bubbles and the bottom is crisp.[
Italian and European Law
In Italy, there is a bill before Parliament to safeguard the traditional Italian pizza,[12] specifying permissible ingredients and methods of processing[13] (e.g., excluding frozen pizzas). Only pizzas which followed these guidelines could be called "traditional Italian pizzas" in Italy.
On 9 December 2009, the European Union, upon Italian request, granted Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) safeguard to traditional Neapolitan pizza, in particular to "Margherita" and "Marinara".[14] The European Union enacted a protected designation of origin system in the 1990s.
Global overview of pizza
During the latter half of the 20th century, pizza become a globally accessible dish, mainly due to Italian immigrants that had brought their dishes to new people with resounding success, often in racially and culturally resistive environments.
A survey from 2004 showed that the Norwegians eat most pizza 5,4 kg/year, followed by Germany 2,1 kg/year on average.[15]
Australia
The usual Italian varieties are available, though more common is the style popular in the US, with more and richer topping than Italian style. A common unique type is the Aussie, Australian or Australiana which has the usual tomato sauce base and mozzarella cheese with bacon and egg (seen as quintessentially Australian breakfast fare).[16]
Pizzas with seafood such as prawns are also popular. In the 1980s some Australian pizza shops and restaurants began selling "gourmet pizzas", that is, pizzas with more expensive ingredients such as salmon, dill, bocconcini, tiger prawns, or unconventional toppings such as kangaroo, emu and crocodile. "Wood-fired pizzas", that is, those cooked in a ceramic oven heated by wood fuel, are well-regarded.
Brazil
São Paulo has 6,000 pizza establishments and 1.4 million pizzas are consumed daily.[17] It is said that the first Brazilian pizzas were baked in the Brás district of São Paulo
in the early part of the 20th century. Until the 1950s, they were only found in the Italian communities.
Since then, pizza became increasingly popular among the rest of the population. The most traditional pizzerias are still found in the Italian neighborhoods, such as Bexiga (official name: Bela Vista). Both Neapolitan (thick crust) and Roman (thin crust) varieties are common in Brazil, with traditional versions using tomato sauce and mozzarella as a base.
Brazilian pizza in general, though, tends to have less tomato sauce than the Italian version, or uses slices of tomato in place of sauce. Brazilian pizzerias offer also Brazilian variants such as "pizza com catupiry". July 10 is "Pizza Day" in São Paulo, marking the final day of an annual competition among "pizzaiolos". In Brazil, pizza quatro queijos (pizza quattro formaggi) uses mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and gorgonzola, and there is also a variety with five cheeses, which adds catupiry.
India
Pizza is an emerging fast food in Indian urban areas. With the arrival of branded pizza such as Domino's and Pizza Hut in early to mid-1990s, it has reached almost all major cities in India by 2010.[citation needed] There are some domestic pizza brands such as Smokin' Joes[18] and Pop-Tates.
Pizza outlets serve pizzas with several Indian-style toppings like Tandoori Chicken and Paneer. Along with Indian variations, more conventional pizzas are also eaten. Pizzas available in India range from localized basic variants available in neighborhood bakeries to gourmet pizzas with exotic and imported ingredients available at specialty Italian restaurants.
Israel
Many Israeli and American pizza stores and chains, including Pizza Hut and Sbarro, have both kosher and non-kosher locations.[19]Kosher locations either have no meat or use imitation meat because of the Jewish religious dietary prohibition against mixing meat and dairy products, such as cheese. Kosher pizza locations must also close during the holiday of Passover, when no bread products other than matza are allowed in kosher locations.[20]
Some Israeli pizza differs from pizza in other countries because of the very large portions of vegetable toppings such as mushrooms or onions, and some unusual toppings, like corn or labane, and middle-Eastern spices, such as za'atar. Like most foods in Israel, pizza choices reflect multiple cultures.
Japan
American pizza chains entered Japan in the 1970s (e.g. Shakey’s Pizza and Pizza Hut 1973, Domino’s pizza in 1985). The largest Japanese pizza chain is Pizza La. The most popular pizza chain promoting Italian style artisanal pizza is Salvatore Cuomo.
The Italian association Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana has an independent branch in Japan. Local types of pizza have been made, for instance mochi pizza (crust made with Japanese mochi cakes).[21][22]
Malaysia
Nepal
Pizza is becoming more popular as a fast food in the urban areas of Nepal, particularly in the capital city, Kathmandu. There are a number of restaurants that serve pizzas in Kathmandu. With the opening of a number of international pizza brands, the popularity as well as consumption has markedly increased in recent times.
Norway
The Norwegians eat most pizza in the world according to a survey by ACNielsen 2004, 5,4 kg/year per capita. 50 million frozen pizzas were sold. The consumption 2004 was 22 000 tons of frozen pizza, 15 000 tons of home baked and 13 000 tons restaurant made pizzas.
Pakistan
The first pizzerias opened up in Karachi and Islamabad in the late 1980s, with Pappasallis serving pizza in Islamabad since 1990.
Pizza has gained a measure of popularity in the eastern regions of Pakistan—namely, the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, and Azad Kashmir, as well as the autonomous territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. Pizza has not penetrated into western Pakistan; of the remaining provinces and territories of Pakistan, only one (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) has seen much of the dish, in the form of a single Pizza Hut in Peshawar.[23]
In the regions where pizza is known, spicy chicken and sausage-based pizzas are very popular, as they cater to the local palate.
Korea
Pizza is a popular snack food in South Korea, especially among younger people.[24] Major American brands such as Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's Pizza compete against domestic brands such as Mr. Pizza and Pizza Etang, offering traditional as well as local varieties which may include toppings such as bulgogi and dak galbi.
Korean-style pizza tends to be complicated, and often has nontraditional toppings such as corn, potato wedges, sweet potato, shrimp, or crab. The super-deluxe "Grand Prix" at Mr. Pizza has Cajun shrimp, bell peppers, olives, and mushrooms on one side, and potato wedges, bacon, crushed tortilla chips, and sour cream on the other side.
Its potato mousse-filled cookie dough crust is sprinkled with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins, and can be dipped in a blueberry sauce that is provided.
Traditional Italian-style thin-crust pizza is served in the many Italian restaurants in Seoul and other major cities. North Korea's first pizzeria opened in its capital Pyongyang in 2009.[25]
Sweden
Pizza arrived in Sweden with Italian guest workers and became popular around 1970. Swedish pizza is mainly of the Neapolitan type and most pizzerias in Sweden have pizzas Margherita, Capricciosa and Quattro Stagioni at the top of the menu, although with altered recipes.
For example, a Swedish Margherita uses Swedish hard cheese instead of mozzarella and dried oregano instead of fresh basil. The Swedish pizza has been developed with lots of inventions and styles, creating a tradition distinct from the Italian one, although some names may coincide. Occasionally pizzerias offer "Italian pizza" imitating Italian recipes in addition to the Swedish ones.
A typical Swedish pizzeria offers 40-50 different named varieties in the menu, even up to 100, and personal modifications are offered. Besides, many pizzerias also serve salads,lasagne, kebab and hamburgers, especially if there is a facility to sit and eat.
Italian style restaurants often combine a restaurant menu with a pizza menu.
Some popular varieties common in most of Sweden, mostly with the same name, all having tomato sauce and cheese to start with and additional toppings:
Some popular varieties common in most of Sweden, mostly with the same name, all having tomato sauce and cheese to start with and additional toppings:
Marinara: shrimps, mussels
Hawaii: ham, pineapple
Calzone (folded): ham
One of the most popular types of pizza in Sweden since the 1990s is kebab-pizza, and a song in the Swedish Eurovision song contest 2008 was "Kebabpizza slivovitza".
The invention ought to be a result of the common tendency of pizza bakers to create their own flagship compositions and novel flavours, using whatever might be available in their kitchen. Since the last years one can find pizza with fresh lettuce or chips (French fries) put on top after baking. The amount of topping compared to the crust is rather high in international comparison.
The typical side order with Swedish pizza is a free "pizza salad", made with shredded cabbage, coarse pepper and sometimes red paprika, slightly pickled (fermented) in vinaigrettefor a few days. In general, Swedish pizzerias are private enterprises and not franchise, often owned as a family business by immigrants, but very seldom Italians. Of internationalrestaurant chains only Pizza Hut is well established, although Vapiano has a few restaurants in Stockholm and Domino's have been trying to establish in southern Sweden since 2008.[26]
Many pizzerias offer affordable (about 1-2 € total, or free with large order) home delivery in less than 30 minutes and many are connected to an on-line ordering service. The take-away price of one standard size (30 cm) pizza is 5 to 8 € depending on topping, about the double for a "family pizza" of double size (weight), and about the half for a "children's pizza" (mostly served in restaurants).
Pizza has become a staple food in Sweden (1,1 kg/year), although most people prepare their own food, as home cooking skills generally are good, and is largely considered as an acceptable occasional fast food alternative to a proper meal. See also sv:pizza.
Frozen pizza
Pizza is available frozen, as round traditional pizzas or in portion size pieces. Methods have been developed to overcome challenges such as preventing the sauce from combining with the dough and producing a crust that can be frozen and reheated without becoming rigid. Modified corn starch is commonly used as a moisture barrier between the sauce and crust.
Traditionally the dough is partially baked and other ingredients are also sometimes precooked. There are frozen pizzas with raw ingredients and self-rising crusts. A form of uncooked pizza is available from take and bake pizzerias. This pizza is created fresh using raw ingredients, then sold to customers to bake in their own ovens or microwave ovens. Another approach is using a fresh dough, sold with sauce and basic ingredients, to complete before baking in oven.
Health matters
Detriments
Some mass-produced pizzas by food chains have been criticized as having an unhealthy balance of ingredients. Pizza can be high in salt, fat and calories. There are concerns about negative health effects.[28] Food chains, such as Pizza Hut, have come under criticism[when?] for the high salt content of some of their meals, which were found to contain more than twice the daily recommended amount of salt for an adult.[29]
Benefits
Some studies have linked consumption of the antioxidant lycopene, which exists in tomato products that are often used on pizza, as having a beneficial health effect.
European nutrition research on the eating habits of people with cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, throat or colon showed those who ate pizza at least once a week had less chance of developing cancer. Dr Silvano Gallus, of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan, attributed it to lycopene, an antioxidant chemical in tomatoes, which is thought to offer some protection against cancer.[30] Carlo La Vecchia, a Milan-based epidemiologist said, "Pizza could simply be indicative of a lifestyle and food habits, in other words the Italian version of a Mediterranean diet."
A traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, fiber, vegetables, fruit, flour, and freshly cooked food. In contrast to the traditional Italian pizza used in the research, popular pizza varieties in many parts of the world are often loaded with high fat cheeses and fatty meats, a high intake of which can contribute to obesity, itself a risk factor for cancer.
Records
The largest pizza was at the Norwood Pick 'n Pay hypermarket in Johannesburg, South Africa. According to the Guinness Book of Records the pizza was 37.4 meters (122 feet 8 inches) in diameter and was made using 500 kg of flour, 800 kg of cheese and 900 kg of tomato puree. This was accomplished on December 8, 1990.[31]
The most expensive pizza was made by the restaurateur Domenico Crolla, and included toppings such as sunblush-tomato sauce, Scottish smoked salmon, medallions ofvenison, edible gold, lobster marinated in the finest cognac and champagne-soaked caviar. The pizza was auctioned for charity, raising £2,150.[32]
Similar dishes
"Farinata" or "cecina".[33] A Ligurian (farinata) and Tuscan (cecina) regional dish made from chickpea flour, water, salt and olive oil. Also called Socca in the Provence region of France. Often baked in a brick oven, and typically weighed and sold by the slice.
The Alsatian Flammekueche[34] German: Flammkuchen. French: Tarte flambée is a thin disc of dough covered in crème fraîche, onions, and bacon.
The Macedonian Pastrmajlija is a bread pie made from dough and meat. It is usually oval-shaped with chopped meat on top of it.
The Anatolian Lahmacun (Arabic: laḥm bi'ajīn; Armenian: lahmajoun; also Armenian pizza or Turkish pizza) is a meat-topped dough round. The bread is very thin; the layer of meat often includes chopped vegetables.
The Levantine Manakish (Arabic: ma'ujnāt) and Sfiha (Arabic: laḥm bi'ajīn; also Arab pizza) are dishes similar to pizza.
The Provençal Pissaladière is similar to an Italian pizza, with a slightly thicker crust and a topping of cooked onions, anchovies, and olives.
Calzone and stromboli are similar dishes (calzone is traditionally half-moon-shaped, while a stromboli is tube-shaped) that are often made of pizza dough rolled or folded around a filling.
Garlic fingers is an Atlantic Canadian dish, similar to a pizza in shape and size, and made with similar dough. It is garnished with melted butter, garlic, cheese, and sometimes bacon.-wikipedia
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