In Search of the Perfect Pizza

Forget the greasy, cardboard-flavoured pizza at your neighborhood fast food chain — nothing can compare to the pizza served in Naples, Italy, the place where pizza was invented.

All pizzas are made in front of you, by the 'pizzaiolo' (pizza-maker) who masterfully rolls and stretches the dough with a wooden paddle. Then, freshly made marinara — tomato and oregano sauce — is poured over the dough, followed by generous helpings of whole milk mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil before being baked for three minutes. The pizzas are then served from oven to table.

Neopolitan pizzas are known for the thin, crisp crust that’s chewy in the centre and light flavours. No need for a dozen different toppings; even with just a few ingredients, everything is so fresh and the spices so perfectly mixed, you won’t miss the usual pepperonis and anchovies (incidentally, Italian pizza doesn’t use pepperoni — and if you ask for it, they’ll serve green peppers instead).

The Italians are so proud of Neopolitan pizzas that the government is pushing for strict regulations on how it is made to ensure that its tradition is preserved. Some of the best pizzeras in Naples are the L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele (a casual restaurant where you can enjoy your meal with beer), the Mimi alla Ferrovia and the La Cantina di Triunfo (more formal restaurants with deep wine cellars). Some restaurants offer pretty diverse pizza menus where you can order additional toppings, but it’s still best to order the classic pizza margherita — the recipe perfected over the centuries.