From Neapolitan Street Food to Worldwide Cult
Flour, salt, yeast, tradition, and passion.

If you were to walk through any Italian city, town, or village, along its lanes and alleys, past shops and stores, bakeries, and markets, it wouldn’t take you long to find a pizzeria. In Italy finding a good pizza is as easy as ABC, but finding a great pizza, one that’s worth eating down to that last bite of crust, and you will still want more, requires that you go to Naples. At least that’s what an “il Napolitano” a native of the city, will tell you.

In Naples, pizza isn’t just a food but a cultural symbol, a source of pride, and a part of its identity. Simple, like all Italian food, it is made from a handful of quality ingredients, and with its roots deep in its history. Accordingly in 2017, Neapolitan pizza was designated a *UNESCO "Intangible Cultural Heritage."

In order to make a true Neapolitan style pizza the list of requirements that help to preserve its traditions are stringent and overseen by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, AVPN, The True Neapolitan Pizza Association. 

Note: Pizza in Naples is taken seriously. The AVPN document for the making of a true Neapolitan pizza compromises 28 pages, meticulously covering size, preparation, ingredients, leavening and proofing, type of oven, and wood used to fire it, baking temperature, toppings etc. 

* The Intangible Cultural Heritage designation is regarded as a key factor in maintaining and preserving cultural diversity in a world of growing globalization. 

Eat Pizza Like a Native

One - Order a beer and some french fries while you look at the menu and choose a topping.

Two - Start eating as soon as your pizza is served.

Three – Cut your pizza into wedges with a knife, scissor or yes, garden shears. (In Italy you get pizza unsliced.)

Four - Fold a slice inward from the outside corners or eat it like a native; fold it from the middle, one side over the other.

Five - Tilt the slice so the toppings flow into your mouth. It’s okay to make appreciative noises, including slurping.

Six- Alternative to five. Bend the front corner and take a bite.

Seven – Enjoy!

Eight - Ask your dinner companion if he/she is going to leave that uneaten slice on the plate.

Beer: A Beverage That Compliments Pizza 

When you imagine Italian beverages, you might think of vineyards on rolling hills or glasses and carafes filled with rich red, or shimmering white wine. However, when you are sitting in a crowded pizzeria, you'll probably see people drinking something that you didn't expect.

One thing that surprises a foreigner, is that Italians probably won't drink wine with their pizza, and it’s not unusual to see a pitcher of “biera alla spina,” beer from the tap, on the table. The crisp, tartness of the beer compliments the richness of the pizza's tomato and cheese, without compromising or detracting from their tastes. 

Another surprise might be, seeing diners while waiting for their orders to arrive, digging into a starter of french fries, or vegetables that have been lightly dredged in flour and deep fried. 

And one more surprise- Pizza are served individually and are unsliced. If you ask for your pizza to be sliced, your server might come to the table with a scissor or even a pruning shear. 

Pay the Check, “Pagare alla Romana”

Diners don't request the check at the table. That is one major difference between Italian restaurants and those in other countries. When you are finished eating in an Italian café, pizzeria, trattoria or restaurant, you are not rushed by the server to pay the bill and leave. When you've finished your meal, had your coffee and amaro or limoncello, and are ready to go, get up and on the way out, pay at the cash register. If you are with a group, you or someone in your party goes to the cashier, usually the designated mathematician in the group, divides up the bill equally, and everyone chips in their part. Tipping isn't required and is included in the service charge. 

“Pagare alla Romana” literally translated means pay like the Romans

Wood Fired Oven, or Electric - An expert opinion

There is a collective zest for food, and pride in its preparation, that is unique to the Italian spirit. I unexpectedly experienced that one evening at a pizzeria in a seaside village in Campania, where it seemed that the pizzaiola there was much more interested in giving me a proper memory of his village, than baking a pizza. Before I sat down and could order he said, “my pizzas are okay, but if you want the best though, go to my friend across the square. He bakes his in a wood oven.”