Neapolitan pizza is far more than a beloved dish enjoyed around the world. It represents a cornerstone of Italian identity, deeply rooted in the culture and history of Naples. In 2017, the art of its preparation, known as “arte del pizzaiuolo napoletano,” was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That recognition went beyond protecting a simple recipe, extending to the knowledge, technique, and tradition that Neapolitan families and craftsmen have passed down through generations.
The rules governing what qualifies as a true Neapolitan pizza are strict and overseen by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, commonly known as AVPN. The dough must be made exclusively from type “00” wheat flour, water, salt, and fresh yeast, with no oil and no sugar allowed. It is kneaded by hand or using slow-speed mixers, and the fermentation process must last a minimum of 8 to 24 hours depending on temperature and the amount of yeast used. That extended fermentation is what gives the dough its elasticity, lightness, and digestibility that set it apart from ordinary pizza bases.
Shaping the dough is also strictly regulated and must be done entirely by hand, without a rolling pin, so that air is preserved within the edges. This results in the pizza’s signature feature, a puffy and soft outer crust called the “cornicione,” marked by dark blistered spots from the intense heat of baking. The diameter of the finished pizza should not exceed about 14 inches, and the center must remain thin and pliable enough to fold.
When it comes to toppings, only two traditional versions are officially recognized. The Marinara is made with tomato, garlic, oregano, and olive oil, while the Margherita features tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil. The tomatoes used must come from the San Marzano variety or other certified types, and the mozzarella must be either fior di latte or mozzarella di bufala. Every single ingredient carries its own origin standard and certification requirement.
The baking process is considered just as important as the dough itself. A genuine Neapolitan pizza is baked exclusively in a wood-fired oven at temperatures ranging from roughly 800 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, for no more than 60 to 90 seconds. That extreme heat causes the dough to rise rapidly, creates lightly charred spots on the crust, and keeps the center moist and soft rather than dry or cracker-like.
Italians are deeply insistent on these details because they view pizza as something far greater than fast food. It is a symbol of their city, family tradition, and local pride. Any deviation, whether it involves adding cream, pineapple, or simply overloading the pizza with too many toppings, is seen as a departure from the original philosophy of simplicity and balance that defines the dish.
That combination of precise, codified rules and a powerful cultural identity is what makes Neapolitan pizza truly unique among all the pizza styles found across the globe. Behind what appears to be a simple, humble dish lies centuries of artisanal knowledge and an almost ritualistic respect for ingredients and process.
To understand why this pizza earned such international recognition, it helps to know a bit of its broader history. Pizza as we know it today traces its origins to Naples in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was a cheap street food sold to the city’s working poor. The Margherita variety is popularly said to have been created in 1889 in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy, with its toppings of red tomato, white mozzarella, and green basil representing the colors of the Italian flag. Naples itself has always been the spiritual home of pizza, and the city’s pizzaiolos, or pizza makers, have long been regarded as skilled craftsmen rather than simply cooks. The UNESCO recognition in 2017 was the result of a campaign that had been building for years, backed by cultural organizations and the Italian government, as a way of formally acknowledging that this tradition was worthy of global preservation. Today, the AVPN certifies pizzerias around the world that meet its standards, with hundreds of certified locations operating across dozens of countries.
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