True pizza aficionados are so serious about the creation of authentic Italian pizza that they actually have more than fifteen professional pizza-related trade associations in Italy. These associations are dedicated to the training and education of what it takes to make a pizza that is worthy of it’s name.

One of the most well known pizza associations is the Vera Pizza Napoletana, or the VPN. Vera, or Verace, is Italian for real or authentic, and that is precisely what they are all about. The goal of VPN is to specifically promote and protect the style and tradition of the authentic Pizza Napoletana, which was the pizza made popular in the birthplace of pizza as we know it, Naples, Italy.

The Pizza Napoletana is the pizza that started the widespread love of pizza when Queen Margherita sampled and fell in love with this dish. When Chef Raphael was asked to make a special sampling of pizza for the queen, he created the Pizza Margherita which was inspired by the colors of the Italian flag. As this became the queen’s favorite, the citizens who loved and respected her also began loving the Pizza Margherita.
The authentic form of pizza Margherita is made of a yeast-based dough that is shaped and tossed by hand. The toppings are tomato, mozzarella, olive oil and basil. Another true authentic Napoletana pizza is the Pizza Margherita Extra which replaced traditional mozzarella with mozzarella di Bufala. Pizza Marina is also a VPN favorite, topped with tomato, garlic, oregano, and olive oil.

While the Pizza Margherita set the standard for all the pizzas to follow a large variety of other pizzas have been popularized in the Italian marketplace that have been preserved carefully as their popularity spread beyond Italy’s borders

The Capricciosa Pizza is a delicious favorite that is made with the hand tossed yeast dough and then topped with mushrooms, prosciutto, which is a specially cured ham common in Italy, artichoke hearts, olives, and a hard boiled egg. Another pizza with a strong resemblance to the Capricciola is the Quattro Stagioni Pizza. This delectable favorite is a perfect sampler pizza as it is made to represent the four seasons. It is topped with four distinct sections of artichokes, Prosciutto cotto or salami, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Since the introduction of the tomato as a safe food to eat, most authentic Italian pizzas incorporate the tomato into their recipes. (Prior to the poor peasants of Naples safely ingesting tomatoes as a food, Europeans thought that the tomato was poisonous as other members of its family are.) However, not all pizzas use tomatoes. The Quattro Formagi is made with a special blend of four cheeses. In addition to the traditional mozzarella, this pizza is made with three local cheeses, such as ricotta, parmigiano-reggiano, and Gorgonzola. Pizzas in Liguria are often topped with a basil pesto sauce instead of tomato sauce.

For seafood lovers, there are several specialty toppings used frequently in authentic Italian pizzas such as shellfish, shrimp, Italian tuna packed in olive oil, and the ever-so-popular topping that is also the least requested by Americans, the anchovy! (If you have never tried a pizza with anchovies, you are missing out on an amazing taste sensation. DO NOT simply order anchovies on a pizza at Pizza Hut. You must go to a top-rated restaurant that specializes in maintaining the truest essence of the original pizza and order a pie that is perfectly balanced to accommodate the full flavor of anchovies. It’s delicious, but I warn you that you will be thirsty afterwards!)
Local capers and olives of Italy are the heart and soul of the Pizza Pugliese. Mushrooms and tender Prosciutto crudo (ham that is not cooked while curing) make up the succulence of the Pizza Veronese. The ever-so-passionate Sicilians take the art of topping a pizza to a whole new level with a vast array of toppings such as green olives, hard-boiled eggs, sausages, seafood, and peas.

A hungry-man favorite is the Pizza al Taglio, also referred to as the Pizza Rustica is frequently piled on with marinated mushrooms, artichokes, and/or onions. This overloaded pie is so heavy that it is often sold by weight rather than by the pie.

The Italians and the Greeks may be due the bragging rights for introducing the pizza to the United States, the American culture has had great delight in transforming this dish into unique and regional taste sensation. Every country seems to be adding unique variety and style to this ever-popular dish. Some of these pizzas now bear little relation to their ancestors unless you count the fact that it is bread with delicious ingredients on top and is baked in an oven.

Today, Americans and people of other countries order pizzas with crusts of different thicknesses and the crusts may be flavored with a variety of herbs and spices, including rosemary, thyme, and sage. These crusts may be filled with meats or cheeses and then topped with other ingredients that make them luscious double deckers.
Instead of pepperoni and sausage, customers are choosing chicken, bacon, ham, and pineapple as their favorite toppers for pizza. Taco pizza has been offered for more than 20 years and is still a crowd pleaser with legions of devoted fans. This selection of non-traditional pizza has taco sauce, which replaces the standard tomato sauce, and has ground beef or pork, onions, sour cream, avocados and cheese.

These ingredients may be baked on the crust in a traditional oven and then additional cheeses, chopped lettuce and tomatoes are added right before serving. While this pizza is definitely a challenge to eat without dropping some of the ingredients, it is one of the tastiest dishes you can find. Today, these types of pizzas are even offered at national chains as alternatives to the standard pizza choices.

Americanized versions of the traditional pizza will usually contain either vegetable oil or olive oil in the dough, and even this is not found in most traditional Italian pizzas. Many of these pizzas are made with dough that contains no oils. The deep-dish pizza dough has a healthy addition of oil to help it cook properly. Another difference in the more non-traditional pizzas is the fact that the dough is more similar to that from which bagels are created. This means that the flour has a lot of gluten, which allows for a large amount of stretching of the dough without any tearing being involved.

Some of the differences in toppings can be found in the following choices of ingredients:
• Instead of a homemade tomato base on the crust, there are other variations used. One of the more common sauces might be the tomato sauce, but there are also pesto sauces, Alf redo sauce, hot sauce, barbecue sauces, and even pizzas on which no sauce at all is used.
• Any type of cheese is fair game for a non-traditional pizza topping. Look for pizzas that combine provolone with mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar.
• Vegans and vegetarians are not the only ones with a love for unusual pizza toppings.  Some more unique pizza toppings are artichokes, asparagus, eggplant, olives, spinach, jalapenos, pineapples, freshly diced pears, and even chopped, ripe tomatoes.
• With meat choices, again the sky is the limit with choices for unusual but tasty pizzas. Shrimp, chicken, tuna, and even scallops have been used to create appealing and creative dishes.
You can find tomato pie pizzas in the Philly area of Pennsylvania. These are simply pizzas with sauce and seasonings that are baked to perfection in brick ovens.
Another non-traditional pizza choice is the upside down pizza pie. The cheese is on the bottom and the top of the pizza is covered with a delicious sauce. This creates a wonderful baked cheese crust and the pizza is a lot of fun for customers to eat.

In many Italian cities, pizza is a dish that is traditionally eaten with silverware, but for most people in other countries the only way to eat a pizza today is with your hands.

A New York tradition is pizza by the same name. A New York style pizza is large slices of a hand tossed pizza that will need to be folded or rolled in order that it can be eaten. Sicilian style pizza is a relatively thick crust pizza that is square in shape and is cut into squares for eating. You can even find a Long Island version of pizza called a “Grandma” that is square with a thin, crunchy crust and usually has diced or chopped tomatoes instead of the tomato sauce. The crust of the Grandma pizza usually has oils and spices for additional flavor.

White pizzas are those that only have garlic, butter, and cheeses on top of them, and they never have any tomato sauce.
In New England, customers are treated to Greek pizzas. These have crusts that are thick and chewy and they are baked in pans with deep sides. Olive oil is a common ingredient as a topping and is used to create the outer crispness of the crust. Many of these pizzas will have olives and feta cheese as basic ingredients.

Australian style pizzas usually utilize eggs, bacon, and mozzarella as the ingredients that top a standard pizza crust that is covered in tomato sauce. There may even be delicious, fresh prawns added to this taste delight. There are also some gourmet style Australian pizzas that may include dill, salmon, tuna, rocket, or bocconcini. Even kangaroo and emu meat have been additions to some of the Down-Under pizzas.

Dessert style pizzas are a great crowd favorite. These are pizza crusts that are topped with cinnamon, sugar and apple or pear filling. Some of these are even drizzled with icing before serving.

A Hawaiian pizza is a basic pizza crust with sauce, pineapple, Canadian ham, and mozzarella cheese. Some people will add bacon bits and diced tomatoes to this selection.

California style pizza has ingredients that are mostly produce of some type and the choices are generally less traditional in nature, such as sprouts, spinach, asparagus, and mushrooms.

Any combination of veggies can be used to create this figure friendly type of pizza.

Thai style pizza is another unique variety of pizza found today and this choice contains chicken, peanuts, sprouts, peanut sauce, and carrots.

The non-traditional pizzas can be found in almost any combination of meats, vegetables, or fruits. The base can be a more traditional pizza crust or French bread, bagels or English Muffing. Let your imagination and cooking traditions lead you to create your own personal pizza style.

The Complete Pizza Seasoning Reference

Culinary herbs are among the most anciently utilized foods for both taste and health. Herbs are aromatic, soft-stemmed plants (they don’t have woody stems). When it comes to flavoring, herbs are very similar to spices; but, spices are derivatives or made from parts of a plant, whereas herbs are virtually always the plant’s leaves or the whole plant (the above-ground portion). Culinary herbs used in food preparation can make or break sauces, and they can sometimes dramatically bring out or enhance flavors of foods like meats and cheeses (both of which are widely used to make pizzas).

These are the culinary herbs predominantly used in the making of one of the most widely consumed foods in America.

BASIL – Widely known to be superior for flavoring tomato-based preparations like most pizzas. This herb has been considered sacred for millennia, thought to derive from the dragon-like creature called the basilisk. Medicinally, various species of basil have been used for easing diabetic symptoms, for diminishing the effects of asthma, as a laxative, and as a skin toner.

ROSEMARY – A member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family and symbolic of remembrance, this is a favorite herb of many gardeners and another herb widely used in tomato-based dishes as well as for bringing out the savoriness of meats. Medicinally, rosemary has been used for freshening the air through burning  the stems, and brewing into an astringent tonic for soothing the stomach. In fact, rosemary oil is listed in the U.S. Pharmacopeia for use in combination with other drugs as a digestive aid. Heavy doses, however, can have a reverse effect and irritate the stomach.

SAGE – Also a member of the mint family, and of the genus Salvia, the most widely used species of sage in food preparation is Salvia Officinalis. Sage is especially used dried and ground up. It’s often used in conjunction with rosemary, thyme, and/or parsley in foods, and is widely used to help flavor one of pizza’s most essential ingredients: cheese. Its flavor is strong, being slightly bitter and astringent. This herb is also quite fragrant. Medicinally, sage is known as a strong antioxidant.

PARSLEY – Anciently used to ward off drunkenness (but without much proof of its power) and once dedicated to the goddess of the Greek underworld Persephone, parsley is used today to freshen the breath and give clarity to the flavors of other foods or ingredients. Its taste is very, very “refreshing” and slightly peppery. Parsley is also known as a rich source of the A and C vitamins as well as boron and fluorine which fight off cancer and strengthen the bones, respectively.

THYME – Yet another member of the mint family, thyme comes in a hundred different species and is cultivated extensively both commercially and by home gardeners. It is widely used in creamy sauces and meats based dishes, making its relevance to pizza flavoring obvious. Thyme is considered to be one of the most magical of all plants, and medicinally it is known to help ease several different nerve-pains including sciatica, gout, and toothaches.

MARJORAM – Marjoram is in the mint family, used in a vast array of different food preparations, and is very often confused with southern European or Greek oregano (which is “wild marjoram”). Marjoram is mildly sweet and especially favored for giving flavor to cheeses, meats (especially sausages), vegetables, and tomato-based sauces, making it a flawless fit for pizza recipes. Medicinally marjoram has been used as an air freshener and therefore is thought to promote healthy breathing.

RED PEPPER – Also known as cayenne, red pepper is not really an herb, but often gets used in conjunction with herbs in dishes like pizza. It is the fruit of the red pepper plant. Flavor-wise it’s used to give some powerful “zing” to a dish and some species of red pepper can seriously cause burning irritation of  one’s tongue, mouth, lips, or throat. Medicinally, red pepper is used to clear out the sinus passages and aid in digestion, and is heavily loaded with vitamin C.

BLACK PEPPER – The small, unripened fruit of the pepper plant, black pepper is one of the most anciently used spices (once again, it’s not really an herb but very often gets used in similar ways to herbs) and the most-used spice in the world today. Although known mostly as one of the two most frequently used seasonings, along with salt, black pepper is known to help digestion and help soothe muscular and nervous soreness.

FENNEL – Fennel is in the parsley family. There are three important species of fennel, and the one used in pizza is Italian fennel (piperitum). Fennel is most often used to flavor vegetables and cooking oils or sauces. Medicinally, fennel can help to get rid of sour or upset stomach and act as a digestive aid.

CHILIES – Another member of the pepper family, chilies are used to spice up foods and can be extremely hot (super spicy). They are also rich in vitamins A, E, and C and in potassium and folic acid.

As you can see, the culinary herbs of pizza are great for flavor and for your health. So much for “junk food”!”

Pick up, and begin to spin a bit on the knuckles, pulling the dough gently outwards with each toss. Do this until the pizza is roughly the right size (big enough to almost touch the edges of the flat part of the peel).
It is fine if the center is paper-thin, so long as it doesn’t break.  Place down on the peel, and use fingers and rolling pin to even out the edges. Organic shaped pizzas have a gourmet appearance. If you plan on selling slices the crust must be thicker in order to support the toppings.

Assembling a great Pizza using par-baked crusts
Assemble par-baked crusts on pizza peels as you normally would prepare and assemble fresh dough. Try par baking some crusts wrapping and putting them aside for a day and then bake.
Also freeze a few and reheat at a later date. Note any difference in how long it takes to fully bake along with any difference in taste or consistency.

Applying the sauces
Spread sauces using a spoon from a 1/2 to a 1/4 of an inch to the edge of the crust.
Thin watery tomatoes sauces do not cook well, they leave too much moisture after they are removed from the oven. A thicker sauce maintains it color and looks better. Pesto sauces have a tendency to leave an oily residue on the pizza peel. Be sure to keep the peels well floured or spread with bread crumbs or corn meal when using pesto sauce.

Applying the cheese
Spread the cheese with your hand up to a 1/2-inch to the edge of the crust.
All cheeses are not created equal. Try a few different brands with different milk contents. Some get too rubbery; some get too oily after being baked. Whatever you decide start by spreading a thin layer of cheese on top of your sauce.
Too much cheese on top of pizza will result in overcooking (burning) leaving the under portion of the cheese not melting enough. Too much cheese may result with a oily pizza with a burnt crust.

Applying Vegetables
Spread most toppings by using your hand or a spoon up to 1/2-inch to the edge of the crust.
Vegetable toppings like artichoke hearts, mushrooms, peppers and onions should be sliced thin so that they will cook in a short time and won’t release their moisture. More of an ingredient does not always make a better pizza. Overflowing toppings can make for a messy eating experience.

Applying Meats
Pepperoni and salami can be used as-is but meats like sausage, bacon, ground beef and poultry must be precooked. Place 6 small pepperoni circles on top of the cheese. Under the cheese makes it difficult for the pepperoni to warm up and to eat. Keep meats separate from other ingredients.
The pizzaiolo should monitor the cooking of the pizza by lifting up its edge. Using a metal peel, the pizzaiolo rotates the pizza, changing the edge that is facing the fire, and taking care to always replace the pizza on the same spot on the cooking surface, so that the pizza does not burn because it is exposed to different temperatures.

It is important that the pizza is cooked in uniform manner across its entire circumference. At the conclusion of the cooking, the pizzaiolo removes the pizza from the oven with a metallic peel, and places it on a flat, dry work surface. Cooking time should not surpass 60-90 seconds.

Applying Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are one of the great secrets of making good pizza. You will take your pizza to the next level after learning which ones to use on which pizza.

On the 8th Day…

The most popular pizza origin story comes to us by way of Naples, Italy with the addition of the tomato topping. Prior to the late 18th century, Europeans thought that the tomato was actually a poisonous fruit. However, around the late 1700’s, the poorer communities in Naples began adding tomato to their yeast-based flat bread. The original pizza during that time was topped with the things the poor of Naples could afford. The flat bread was topped with oil, lard, tallow, anchovies, and, of course, cheese, and tomatoes. The taste was a hit and the “pizza” grew in popularity.

It wasn’t long before word spread and visitors to Naples went into the poorer areas for the sole purpose of sampling this tasty feast served on flat bread. Thanks to the popularization of the pizza, the wealthier segments of society saw that the tomato was not only safe to eat, but also delicious, and tomatoes became a main ingredient of many Italian delicacies!

The original pizza vendor operated from open-air stands on the streets of Naples. The pizza would be baked in wood-fired pizza carts. Possibly the world’s first pizzeria was Antica Pizzeria Port Alba’ in Naples, Italy. They first made pizza for peddlers from the wood-fired pizza carts, but expanded to a full-fledged pizzeria with tables and chairs in 1830. If you go to Naples, you can still get authentic pizza from that original pizzeria site.

During the late 1800’s, Queen Margherita and her husband, Umberto, took an evaluation tour of her Italian Kingdom. While touring around Italy, she saw that many of Italy’s citizens, especially peasants, were eating this large flat bread food. Curious about it, she told one of her guards to bring her a pizza bread. Upon tasting it, she immediately developed a love for pizza, and ate it every time she would venture out among the citizens. This caused some controversy among those in the Royal Court circles, as it was not becoming for royalty, especially the queen, to eat the food of mere peasants.

The queen, not wanting to give up dining on this wonderful pizza bread, requested that Chef Raphael Esposito travel from his pizzeria to the palace. Queen Margherita then ordered him to bake a variety of pizzas for her to sample and enjoy.

Queen Margherita was loved and respected by her subjects, and Chef Rafealle was no exception. Chef Rafaelle decided to make a special pizza in honor of his queen that would represent the colors of the Italian flag: red, white, and green. The pizza was topped with red tomatoes, white Mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. Of all the pizzas Chef Rafaelle prepared for her, this became Queen Margherita’s favorite. When word spread throughout Italy that this “Italian Flag” pizza was one of the queen’s favorite foods, she became even more real and beloved by her subject citizens, as they felt more connected with her.

Queen Margherita’s addition of pizza to her royal menu began a culinary tradition that would spread into the elite homes of Naples, then Italy at large, and then into all of the world.

As the popularity of pizza spread throughout the region, variations and adaptations began to be made which followed the pizza throughout time. In Bologna, meat was added to the choice of toppings. The Neapolitan pizza was topped with crumbly Neapolitan cheeses, garlic, herbs, fresh vegetables, and other spices.

Eventually pizza began to be baked in special brick ovens that enveloped the pizza, cooking all of the toppings along with the pizza dough all together. This is the same process used to bake pizza in most pizzerias across the world today.

After the rise in popularity of pizza had spread across Italy, the love of pizza spread to France, Spain, England, and the Americas. Pizza had spread, but it was still not wildly popular. The true spark of popularity came during World War II when American and European soldiers who were occupying Italian territories tasted this dish. They loved it straight away. Now immigrant Italian restaurateurs had been selling pizza in their American establishments for a while, but as the soldiers returned from the war with an appetite for this cheesy, saucy delight, the quiet Italian restaurants suddenly had a booming new clientele. And, with that, pizza became popular across the nations.

Pizza has become an icon of civilization. The versatility of pizzas keep it a dish that anyone could consider. Pizza evolved from a meal peasants could afford to a gourmet dish loved the world over. As the recipes have changed, there are some pizza aficionados that insist on maintaining pizza in its truest purest form. Of course, these people are not talking about the peasant bread, but rather the slightly evolved Neapolitan-style pizza.
The Verace Pizza Napoletana Americas, VPN, is an association that offers training on how to create an authentic style pizza to individuals or businesses. They are strict in following the guidelines of the VPN Association that is based out of Naples, Italy. VPN has specific recipes that emphasize perfection in reproducing the original Pizza Margherita, as well as other original favorites. To be certified by the VPN means that clientele can always expect a perfect pizza experience.

No food has ever affected society the way pizza has. No matter who you are, pizza has likely had some impact on your life. What other food can people the world over say that about?”

Pizzas became a very popular food choice, especially in the north. Pizza seasonings were now in great demand by consumers. Italian cooks had used flavorful herbs for years and now others were anxious try these seasonings too. Oregano became known as “the pizza herb” and became the number one ingredient to use for tomato sauces or as a pizza seasoning. Many cookbooks will also give gardeners good suggestions about including various herbs as flavorings for different recipes. There is no substitution for the superb taste that fresh herbs and spices bring to any dish. When chefs are making a gourmet pizza or special sauce, they will use only fresh herbs.

Introducing the Culinary (Cooking) Herbs
Culinary herbs have a wide range of uses in cooking and provide cooks a way to add tasty seasonings. Herbs have a rich intensity that adds character and flavor to any foods. Pizza seasonings for pizzas are  one of the favorite uses for both dried and fresh herbs

Parsley may be the most common herb used in recipes. Sage is also a favorite ingredient for flavoring pork sausage, stews, and sauces.  Other popular culinary herbs are chives, thyme, savory, marjoram, mint, rosemary, and basil. These herbs are all delicious when used as flavorful pizza seasonings. You can use these herbs as ingredients in the sauce, crust or as pizza toppings. They will even add great taste when added as fresh garnish. The taste of each different type of herb is very distinctive. Italian dishes are well known for their use of herbs. Chives, mints, and parsley are all quality pizza toppings that add a nice extra flair. You can also use basil, thyme, or oregano to spaghetti sauce, as pizza seasonings or mix them into bread dough.

Herbs for Beginning Gardeners
More common herbs like parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, and sage can be grown almost anywhere. If you are looking for a quick and zesty pizza seasoning idea, simply mix leaves from basil, thyme, and oregano, chop finely and add them to your recipe. You can grow the most common herbs for pizza seasonings in an indoor window box garden or in an outdoor space. For a kitchen window container choose oregano, cilantro, basil, sage, and thyme. While you can easily grow herbs from seeds, starting with small, established plants will jump-start the process. Herbs are low maintenance, and just a few are all you need.
Beginning herb gardeners may have a problem deciding which plants to include in their available planting spaces.  A quick check of a supermarket shelf will give you some idea of the types of herbs used in cooking. These herb favorites may serve as an impromptu planting guide.
Recommended herbs for beginners to grow and use as food seasonings
There are a number of easy herbs to grow for cooking use. Mint, cilantro, rosemary, sage, oregano, basil, stevia, chives, and parsley will be more than enough to begin with.

Classifying herbs by taste
Strong herbs are winter savory, rosemary, and sage. These have intense flavors that can be used as single seasoning ingredients. Herbs that are strong enough to use as a single accent but blend well with other flavors are – sweet basil, dill, mint, sweet marjoram, tarragon, thyme, and oregano. Herbs that benefit from inclusion with other herbs are chives and summer savory.

Using Herbs for Cooking
There are no steadfast rules that must be applied when cooking with herbs. You should always start by experimenting with very small amounts of herbs so that you can find out which flavors you prefer. It is usually best not to mix two very strong herbs together. You can mix a stronger flavored herb with one or more milder flavors for good results. Dried herbs are much stronger than fresh ones, and powdered herbs are stronger than dried leaves. A useful formula to commit to memory is 1/4 teaspoon powdered herbs = 3/4 to 1 teaspoon crumbled = 2 teaspoons fresh herbs.

Cooking tips to use when flavoring foods with herbs
Leaves of herbs should be chopped very fine to release more flavor. Remember that the flavoring of herbs diminish when exposed to long cooking times.  To become familiar with an herb’s flavor, mix it with a little butter and leave it for an hour. Spread a bit on a plain cracker and sample the taste. Sprinkle fresh, tender herbs such as fresh basil, marjoram, and oregano on top of other ingredients, so they will not lose their fresh splashes of flavor.

Sage and rosemary can stand the heat of longer cooking times which makes them perfect for meats and breads. Because prosciutto, pepperoni, and other cured meats will dry out in a hot oven, I add them about halfway through the baking of a pizza… usually when the pizza crust is being turned. For delectable Italian-style seafood pizza, use steamed small mussels (about eleven, 2  inches long) and clams (about 1 inch in diameter) in their lower shells. Place these on a pizza crust, brushed with olive oil, and bake. If replacing dried herbs with fresh ones, use triple the amount that is listed.

Herb Storage Tips
Fresh herbs, like cilantro, are perishable and proper storage is necessary. You can store bunches of herbs in a refrigerator with their stems kept in water or keep them in perforated bags. While a little humidity is good for fresh herbs, too much will cause them to spoil. Shake herbs to remove any water, and add a paper towel to the bag to absorb dampness.”