How To Identify An Authentic Italian Pizza?

By Author: Alex Arnold
Total Articles: 15
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Pizza is one of the most cherished food items all over the world. Nobody can deny the greatness of the delicious goodness that is pizza. Pizza is originally an Italian dish that has been reinvented by different countries to fit the taste and preference of people all across the world. But what cannot be reinvented is an authentic Italian pizza. If you are looking for Italian Pizza in Port St. Lucie, you need to identify the components that make a true Italian pizza.
Pizza is a staple in Italian culture and has also made its mark in nations all across the globe. But many pizzerias do not sell the authentic Italian version of the pizza, rather a version that fits the food style of the region. If you want to differentiate an authentic Italian pizza, here’s what you need to look for.
 
The Base
The deep-dish pizza that everyone is so accustomed to in the USA is not an authentic Italian pizza. Deep-dish ...
... pizza is available in almost all restaurants, cafes, and corner stores but an authentic Italian Pizza doesn’t have the same crust as the deep dish pizza. A true Italian Pizza has a much lighter base, which is thinner and crispier. Achieving the right base is something only a few people can achieve and it requires years of practice in Italian cuisine to achieve that consistently thin crust. The first step in identifying a true Italian Pizza is to take a look at the texture of the crust and check if it is thin and crispy.
 
The Sauce
After the crust, the next thing to look at is the sauce. An authentic Italian Pizza is always made from fresh tomato sauce. Italian tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, are first peeled and then seasoned with salt, fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil. All these ingredients add a taste to the sauce which is true to an authentic Italian tomato sauce. Also, there is no trial and error procedure in preparing the sauce. Italians prefer making the sauce in one go with getting all the ingredients right the first time and if it is not done right then there is no space for modification and the sauce has to be made from scratch.
 
A Whole Pie
Along with the ingredients, the Pizza serving etiquette is also important to experience an authentic Italian meal. An authentic Italian Pizza is always served as a whole pie and not as slices. You are supposed to sit down with your friends or family and share the slices with everyone. While all the Italian restaurants have their take on the whole pie, but you will never be served slides as a stand-alone. When you visit a pizza shop in Port St. Lucie observe their serving style to know if they are truly serving Italian fare.
 
The Cheese
Different types of Pizza chefs use different types of cheese in their pizza. A traditional and authentic Italian pizza always has a sprinkle of fresh and flavorful cheese like buffalo cheese or Fior di latte. Also, Italians are a big fan of using fresh and good-quality ingredients in their meal, and there is no compromise in the quality of cheese they use. Cheap or low-grade cheese degrades the overall taste of the pizza and is also not good for health.
 
Toppings
The toppings are the final cherry on the top and complete the pizza as a dish. Authentic Italian pizza leaves you open to experimenting with different types of toppings. You can keep it simple like some fresh basil leaves, oregano, fresh olive oil, and some freshly grated Mozarella di Bufala. If you want to be more experimental then you can opt for classic Italian ingredients like artichoke, Prosciutto San Daniele, Salami, Italian sausages, Provolone, black olives, etc. You can also use fresh tomato slices,  bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, capers, ham, gorgonzola cheese, grated parmesan, smoked bacon, tuna. The choice of toppings is truly endless.