Every pizza lover knows that the texture, aroma and taste of Pizza Napoletana are unparalleled. And every pizza lover has bitten into something claiming to be Pizza Napoletana that clearly wasn’t. Neapolitan Pizza is the world’s standard, but many inferior offerings masquerade as the real thing.
Happily, an historic moment in pizza history was reached in November 9, 2009 when the European Union granted its trademark Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) label to Pizza Napoletana. Now, serving this traditional Neapolitan pizza requires adherence to strict guidelines regarding ingredients, preparation, cooking and presentation.
Naples, Italy celebrated this protection from inferior pizza clones by handing out free pizzas in the Trieste e Trento Piazza. Sergio Miccu', head of the pizzaiolo (pizza-maker) association presented a 'Superpizza TSG' with the quality seal spelled out in basil and tomato strips. Yes, he was excited.
Some of the TSG requirements include a ban on rolling pins or machinery to stretch the dough (hand stretching only), cooking in a wood-fired oven only, round pizza only 35 cm or less, crust that is easily manipulated and using only traditional ingredients.
Italian Agriculture Minister Luca Zaia issued a statement saying "Europe has awarded the work and the tenacity of Neapolitan producers… for a product that too often and too long has been the subject of bad imitations that have nothing to do with the true Pizza Napoletana."
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