Photo: Maria Consiglia Izzo/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
We all love pizza, we all make pizza, we all eat pizza. Whether it’s just a snack or an abundant, yet elegant evening meal eaten in a fancy restaurant or in front of your TV set accompanied by a fine glass of beer, pizza is a legendary dish that has conquered all continents and made Italy famous all over the globe. There are numerous variations of this delicious treat to please everybody’s taste buds, but true connoisseurs will never settle for anything less than what in their opinion happens to be a perfect slice of the best pizza they have ever tasted. So where does the best pizza in the world live and how is it made? Follow us to Naples, Italy for an extra special experience!
The Best Pizza in the World: The Origins
When in search for what is the best in its category, it’s always wise to get back to the roots – the word pizza was first documented in Central and Southern Italy and it was used to denominate the successor of almost equally famous focaccia, a sort of flat bread with various tasty toppings Romans loved to indulge in. The modern pizza as we know it today was born in Naples, when tomato was added on the top of bread base by the end of the 18th century. One of its most popular versions, Pizza Margherita is usually attributed to Raffaele Esposito from “Pizzeria di Pietro” in Naples. The legend says that the first Pizza Margherita was prepared in 1889 for Queen Margherita of Savoy and that she was particularly fond of it because of the colors of the dish that evoke the Italian flag – green from basil leaves, white from mozarella and red from tomatoes. Although modern researchers aren’t very inclined to back up this story, the notion that one of best pizzas in the world is called Margherita after the queen who greatly approved of its taste is likely to live forever.
The Best Pizza in the World Still Lives in Naples
Photo: @nkdflame
Culinary experts and gourmets from different countries have debated over this, but if your choice is the real thing and you want to try the best pizza in the world, get yourself ready to visit Naples. The story started there more than 120 years ago when the only two accepted versions of pizza were Marinara and Margherita, and in many places nothing has changed in spite of the passage of time. One may call Napoletans purists, but they stick to their tradition and give their best to preserve the great recipes of the past by serving only these two types of so-called “pure pizzas”.
The Best Pizza in the World: L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
Photo: telegraph.co.uk
Many claim that the most genuine and the best pizza in the world is made by “L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele” in Naples. This place got its fair share of fame after being celebrated in the popular movie Eat, Pray, Love filmed after the book by Elizabeth Gilbert, featuring Julia Roberts as she falls in love with pizza in pizzeria “Da Michele”.
Photo: viagginews.com
The best pizza in the world must preserve its absolute authenticity outside Italy as well, so even the London branch of this pizzeria must serve classic pizzas prepared exclusively by chefs trained in Naples to ensure that its original taste doesn’t get altered in any possible way.
The Best Pizza in the World: Don’t Miss “Pepe in Grani”, Caiazzo near Naples, Italy
Photo: pepeingrani.it
While pizza restaurants in the heart of Naples offer easily accessible superb service when it comes to best pizzas available nowadays, the true gem hides some 30 km to the north, in a hilltop town called Caiazzo. Everybody knows Franco Pepe, the local hero who dedicated his life to the true passion of celebrating his region and promoting locally made artisanal products in his beloved pizzeria “Pepe in Grani“.
Photo: pepeingrani.it
His pizzas are not just food – they are true masterpieces of taste, luxurious bites that revive past times embodied in his homemade dough prepared from ancient wheat that he personally brought back to life after it became non-existent decades ago. The tomato topping is much more that a red layer on a piece of flat bread – it comes from heritage tomatoes, accompanied by locally made splendid oil from ancient grooves hidden in the close proximity of his realm that yield the best pizzas in the world. Try his famous Pinsa conciata del ‘500 with conciato romano cheese or Il Sole nel Piatto with buffalo mozzarella on the top of carefully prepared, maturated, shaped and garnished dough and the world of pizza that you’ve know so far will never be the same again. For a prolonged pleasure of indulging in pizzas that received the greatest number of nominations for the best pizza in world by the guide “Where to Eat Pizza“, book yourself a room directly above the place where Franco Pepe’s pizza rise to the utmost perfection every single day to the true joy of his devoted customers.
What is your favorite type of pizza and where did you eat your personal best pizza in the world? Share your experiences with us in the comments section!
