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.