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There are many restaurants in the world that serve authentic Italian pizza, but to find the place with the best, most authentic, and even most traditional pizza, there is certainly no place that can surpass the city of Napoli (Italy) - where the art of making pizza has been recognized by the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) as one of the world's intangible cultural heritages.
Making a real Napoli - Italian pizza requires a lot of techniques.
When the first tomatoes were brought to Europe from America in the 16th century, people refused to eat them because they were feared to be poisonous. However, by the late 18th century, when poor people in Naples began adding tomatoes to flatbreads and making it a staple meal became more popular, the world's first pizza was born.
An authentic Napoli-Italian pizza needs to be baked in a domed wood oven.
Just like that, pizza became an inseparable part of the culture of the people of Naples. In 2016, Napoli broke the Guinness World Record with the longest pizza in the world stretching over 1.8 km. By 2017, UNESCO officially recognized the pizza making cycle in Naples, from turning the dough, twisting the dough, throwing the dough into the air to oxidize the pizza and baking it in an oak-fired oven as an intangible cultural heritage of the world.
Napoli sets record with world's longest 1.8 km pizza
However, not every pizza produced can be considered Neapolitan-style pizza. The True Neapolitan Pizza Association has set very strict standards for what constitutes an authentic Neapolitan pizza. First, the pizza must be baked in a domed wood oven, the crust must be hand-kneaded, and the diameter of the pizza must not be larger than 13 inches or the center must not be thicker than 1/10 inch. Additionally, to create a truly Neapolitan pizza, the pizza must be made with Neapolitan flour, Neapolitan tomatoes, and Sicilian oil.
Making pizza has become an integral part of Neapolitan culture.
By the end of the 19th century, when it was introduced to America, pizza became a familiar dish for many Italians in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia... And then New York-style pizza was born, originating from Napoli-style pizza in Italy. However, although pizza has been transformed into many richer and more modern styles, Naples - Italy is still the place you need to go to enjoy an authentic traditional pizza flavor.
