Tracing pizza's culinary journey
Tracing pizza's culinary journey
By Maria Endah Hulupi
JAKARTA (JP): Its classic shape is round, its golden brown
skin is topped with tasty and colorful morsels. It first appeared
in the gastronomic records in medieval times and has marched
proudly into the modern era.
It has style, either very personal or highly commercialized.
During its centuries-long existence, pizza has gone from a
modest food of the humble citizens of its home country Italy, to
a popular food among all classes in countries around the world.
However, this dish still embodies its long culinary tradition,
as Italians continue to honor its origins with their own
generations-old family recipes.
According to Antonia Soriente, a linguist and cultural
collaborator at the Italian Cultural Center in Jakarta, the
history of pizza can be traced back to 500 B.C. There is
archaeological evidence that ovens in which pizzas might have
been cooked were burning in the Greek colony Neapolis, now
Naples, Italy.
In the Middle Ages, its ancestor, the flat pie, was often
topped with cheese. "The tomato pulp became a standard condiment
only after the plump fruit reached Naples from Peru by way of
Mexico in the late 16th century," Antonia said.
Its name, derived from the Latin word picea, meaning
"pinching", is found in the work of Italian Giambattista Basile,
a 17th century writer.
In the early 19th century, there were reports that the king of
the Two Sicilies, Ferdinand II, ordered meals from the first
commercial pizzeria to be sent to his palace. During this era the
Bourbon kings bestowed the title "Monsu" on the son of pizza chef
Antonio Testa, raising him to knighthood in the process.
In 1889, Raffaele Esposito, a renowned Neapolitan pizza chef,
expressed his devotion to the visiting Queen Margherita of the
Savoys dynasty by preparing a patriotic version of pizza bearing
the colors of the unified Italy -- green from basil leaves, white
from mozzarella cheese and red from tomato pulp. From then on,
any pizza with these particular toppings was known as pizza
Margherita.
Antonia explained that in traditional pizzerias, pizza crusts
are made by mixing flour, leavening, water and salt by hand, and
allowing the mixture to sit overnight. Then the cook rolls the
dough into a thin layer and puts it in a brick oven heated with
poplar wood. After three minutes, the crust turns a golden brown
and the tomato pulp is spread on top and the pizza served hot.
"For this (traditional) version, it is best to use fresh
mozzarella cheese derived from buffalo milk, for it has a unique
flavor; fresh basil is added after the hot pizza is removed from
the oven, canned whole tomatoes to maintain its flavor and extra
virgin olive oil to add the mild olive scent," said Antonia.
She added that the crust was similar to staple foods in
Mediterranean countries and other regions, only they have
different shapes and names, like nan and pita bread.
Pizza was introduced to much of the world with the massive
emigration of southern Italians to the United States, Canada,
Argentina, Brazil and other countries in the western hemisphere.
Local ingredients from the respective countries were added to
enrich the classic version and to provide more variety. "And the
list of additional ingredients to please local taste buds is
practically endless," Antonia said.
She said various kinds of wursts were used in Germany, in
Japan the crust was made with rice flour and spread with catsup,
while in Indonesia tofu, tempeh and chili were commonly found on
pizzas.
"However, it is best not to add too many ingredients for the
toppings because such combinations will overpower the unique
flavor of each ingredient and there will be no distinctive flavor
in it," she advised.
Antonia added that pizza was traditionally a "light" meal
served for dinner, but its commercial versions, which could be
greasy or fatty depending on the additional ingredients, were
eaten at practically any hour of the day.
For a traditional pizza, see Cook's Corner below for Antonia's
recipe for pizza Margherita.