Pizza in Naples Italy: A Cheesy Affair with the City’s Best Slices

The city of Naples, Italy, cradles a culinary heavyweight that needs little introduction: the illustrious Neapolitan pizza. Known for its rich history and stringent traditional methods, this Italian masterpiece has left epicureans and casual diners alike in a state of doughy bliss. Naples isn’t merely a city; it’s a museum of edible art where the pizza is the main exhibit. Every bite tells a story that’s been kneaded and folded into the city’s culture over centuries.

Diving into the bustling pizzerias of Naples, one discovers that crafting the perfect pizza isn’t just a skill—it’s a performance art. The precision with which the pizza dough is hand-stretched, the sauce lovingly spooned, and the ingredients artfully arranged is akin to a master painter at the canvas. To the Neapolitans, the margherita isn’t merely cheese, tomato, and basil—it’s pride; the marinara, more than just a humble pie, is a hat tip to a mariner’s past.

Key Takeaways

• Neapolitan pizza is not just food but a cultural staple steeped in tradition.
• Pizza making in Naples is an art form, with each pie a testament to historical finesse.
• Visiting Naples offers an authentic pizza experience that tantalizes the senses and honors Italian culinary heritage.

A Slice of History

Naples, Italy: a city where history marinates in a rich sauce of culinary tradition, and pizza plays the starring role on the gastronomic stage.

Origins of Neapolitan Pizza

The doughy wheels of destiny began turning in Naples. It’s here that Neapolitan pizza, a gastronomic masterpiece, twirled its way into the hearts (and stomachs) of the world. Legend whispers of the fateful day in 1889, when pizza Margherita blushed under the gaze of royalty, its toppings patriotically representing the Italian flag—a gift to Queen Margherita. The birthplace of this iconic pie, they say, is none other than Pizzeria Brandi, where a plaque commemorates the delicious occasion.

What set these Neapolitan delicacies apart? Their simplicity and soul. Each pizza is a haiku written in flour, water, and yeast, strictly adhering to the traditional methods stewarded by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (The True Neapolitan Pizza Association). These sacred pizza poets decree that each pie must have the soft, charred crust that can only come from kissing the fiery lips of a wood-fired oven. Thus, in 2017, UNESCO heralded this ancient art of pizzaiuolo by granting it Intangible Cultural Heritage status.

Famous Pizzerias

Sift through Naples’ cobbled streets and you’ll stumble upon Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, heralded as the city’s first pizzeria. Since 1738, this historic haunt has been serving slices of heaven, making it the place where modern pizza’s ancestors were perfected.

Another venerable temple of dough is Di Matteo, where the air is thick with the scents of bubbling cheese and tangy tomato sauce. Founded in 1936, these purveyors of pie have been crafting mouthwatering Neapolitan-style pizza that lures pizza pilgrims from every corner of the globe, all seeking the crusty Holy Grail of true pizza perfection.

The Art of Pizza Making

When they say pizza, Naples winks back; this city’s pizza is not just food, it’s a love language spoken with flour and fire. Here’s a slice of the secrets baked within every pie.

Secrets Behind the Dough

The dough tossed and twirled in Naples is not your run-of-the-mill dough. It’s alive! Well, in the sense that the yeast is active. Crafted from only the finest Tipo 00 flour, water, salt, and the liveliest of yeast, it undergoes a rigorous workout regimen—kneading, resting, and rising—worthy of an Olympic athlete. A stint in a scorching wood-fired oven for a mere 60 to 90 seconds, and poof, it emerges as the soft, chewy foundation of pizza dreams.

The Great Toppings Debate

To top, or not to top, that is the question—especially in Naples. They’ll hush you up quickly if you speak of ham and pineapple. The classic contenders include San Marzano tomatoes, slathered over the dough with the care of a painter on a canvas. Then, the grande debate: Mozzarella di bufala versus fior di latte. The former brings a rich creaminess only water buffalo milk can bestow, while the latter, cow’s milk mozzarella, stakes its claim with milky sweetness. But whether they’re team buffalo or team cow, Neapolitans agree on a sprinkle of fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and the unspoken rule: simplicity reigns supreme.

Must-Visit Pizza Havens

When in Naples, one does not simply eat pizza; they experience it. Every chew is a journey through history and every topping a high-five from tradition. Here, pizza isn’t just food—it’s a way of life, and these are the temples where the pizza gods are most generous.

The Legendary L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele

Step into the shoes of Elizabeth Gilbert in “Eat Pray Love” and find your pizza nirvana at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. This place is the holy grail for pizza purists. With a lineage dating back to 1870, their pizza is as authentic as it gets, a masterful blend of simplicity and flavor where the Margherita and Marinara rule the roost.

Savoring at Sorbillo

Gino Sorbillo’s pizzeria is less a pizzeria and more a pizza Mecca on the via dei Tribunali. One bite of Sorbillo’s pizza and you’ll be tasting generations of dough-twirling legacy. His pies are a testament to Naples’ love affair with proper pizza—thin, flavorful, and requiring both hands and your undivided attention.

Delights at Di Matteo

Di Matteo is the sherpa guiding you to pizza enlightenment. These guys are infamous for their street-side window serving divine fried pizza snacks. But if you journey inside, you’ll discover one of the best pizzas in Naples. It’s like a high-five to your taste buds, a crispy yet fluffy base adorned with top-tier toppings.

Treats at 50 Kalò

50 Kalò is where science meets art, proving you don’t need a time machine to taste history. Here, Ciro Salvo works his magic, kneading contemporary innovation into every bite. You can expect a modern twist on the traditional, where the dough is a canvas and the ingredients paint the flavors of Naples.

In these havens, the pizza isn’t simply made; it’s born anew with each stretch, sauce, and sprinkle. They’re not just pizzerias; they’re the guardians of a culinary legacy stretching back to the dawn of mozzarella.

The Full Naples Pizza Experience

In Naples, they don’t just make pizza, they live it. Brace yourself for a whirlwind romance with the quintessential Neapolitan pie, as it’s not just about the eating—it’s about the sheer joy of experiencing culinary artistry in its most delicious form.

Why Pizza Isn’t Just Food, It’s a Lifestyle

In Naples, the pizza isn’t just a dish; it’s a hearty embrace from an old friend. It’s where dough meets destiny and every bite tells a story—a crispy, chewy, saucy tale handed down through generations. They say if you listen closely, you might hear the soft serenade of a pizzaiolo spinning the tale of the perfect pizza. Locals might argue that watching Eat Pray Love without salivating over Julia Roberts savoring a slice is nigh impossible; it’s that ingrained in the culture!

A Guided Tour of Flavors

Now, imagine a palatable expedition to the mecca of pizza, where every pizzeria claims the title of “best pizzas in the world”. On such an odyssey, one might begin at Pizzeria Starita, not just for their recommended pies, but for the ambiance that whispers “Naples”. It’s a flavor fest, where each mouthful is a mix of tradition and the pure, unadulterated joy of mozzarella melting on your tongue. They say you haven’t had the best pizza experience until you’ve dined where the locals do, dodging the scooters outside while scarfing down that last delicious pizza slice—you know, for cultural immersion.