NEAPOLITAN PIZZA
FROM NAPLES
WHAT’S BEHIND IT?
Neapolitan pizza is more than a recipe: it’s a craft with a long history and clear basic forms. This page is about the tradition in general – for what we actually serve, see our menu.
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Since 2017 the “Art of Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’” has been on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO describes it as a craft in four stages, from preparing the dough to baking.
Protected in the EU
Since February 2010 Pizza Napoletana has been registered in the European Union as a “traditional speciality guaranteed” (TSG).
The two classics
In strict Neapolitan tradition there are two basic forms: the Marinara and the Margherita. You’ll find both under Pizza Rossa on our menu.
Marinara
The Marinara comes without cheese, with garlic and oregano. On our menu: San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, oregano, olive oil and basil.
Margherita
Tomato, mozzarella, basil and oil. According to tradition, Raffaele Esposito baked it in June 1889 for Queen Margherita, in the colours of the Italian flag. Historians have their doubts – pizzas with tomato and mozzarella were already described in 1858.
Pizza Rossa or Pizza Bianca?
Rossa means red, Bianca means white. On our menu, Pizza Rossa covers all pizzas with a San Marzano tomato base – from the Marinara to the Caprese. Pizza Bianca covers the pizzas without this tomato base, most of them with Fior di Latte, such as Tonno, Napoli or Ortolana.
A little glossary of our menu
Many names on our menu come from the cuisine of Naples and Campania. Here’s what they mean in general. Exactly what ends up on your plate is on our menu.
Bruschetta
Toasted bread, originally a peasant idea for using up stale bread. The name comes from “pane bruscato”, toasted bread; in Campania it comes with tomato, oil and garlic.
On our menu: Bruschetta
Parmigiana
Fried aubergines baked in the oven with tomato, basil and cheese. Where the dish comes from is unclear – Apulia, Campania, Calabria and Sicily are all mentioned.
On our menu: Parmigiana di Melanzane, Parmigiana
Montanara
A small piece of pizza dough that is fried instead of baked in the oven and topped afterwards – a street food from Naples.
On our menu: Tris di Montanare
Crocchè
Fried croquettes, a typical street food of the Neapolitan friggitorie – often served there in a paper cone, the “cuoppo”.
On our menu: Tris di Crocchè
Pizza Fritta
Fried pizza from Naples. After the Second World War it was sold as cheap street food – hence the name “pizza del popolo”, the people’s pizza.
On our menu: Pizza Fritta
Calzone
Pizza dough folded over a filling. In Campania it is baked in the oven from the same dough as pizza.
On our menu: Calzone
Panuozzo
An elongated bread made from pizza dough that is baked, filled and baked again. It was invented in 1983 by pizza maker Giuseppe Mascolo in Gragnano near Naples.
On our menu: Panuozzo
Cuzzetiello
The end piece of a loaf, hollowed out and filled – in Naples traditionally with meatballs in tomato sauce.
On our menu: Cuzzetiello
Scazzuoppoli
Small pieces of risen pizza dough, fried. In Naples they are also called “angiulilli”. We serve them with Nutella and pistachio.
On our menu: Scazzuoppoli Napoletano
Babà
A pastry made from yeast dough, today a firm part of Neapolitan patisserie. Its roots lie in Poland and France.
On our menu: Babà Napoletano
Aglio e Olio
Garlic and oil – one of the simplest pasta sauces in Italy, usually with peperoncino. Sources disagree on whether it comes from Naples or Rome.
On our menu: Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Arrabbiata
“Arrabbiata” means angry: a spicy tomato sauce with garlic and peperoncino that comes from Rome and Lazio.
On our menu: Penne all'Arrabbiata
Friarielli
A brassica from Campania, related to turnip tops (cime di rapa). In Naples it is usually fried with oil, garlic and peperoncino, and classically served with salsiccia.
On our menu: Napoli
Fior di Latte
A fresh cow’s milk mozzarella made using the pasta filata method, in which the curd is stretched.
On our menu: Parmigiana di Melanzane, Tris di Crocchè, Margherita, Provola & Pepe, Salame, Diavola, Parmigiana, Polpette, Calzone, Gamberi, Tonno, Primavera, Napoli, Ortolana, Lasagna
Provola
A pasta filata cheese made from cow’s milk and one of the oldest documented cheeses of Campania. Smoked provola is regarded there as a traditional product.
On our menu: Provola & Pepe, Pizza Fritta, Napoli, Cannelloni Spinaci, Panuozzo
Burrata
A fresh cow’s milk cheese from Apulia: on the outside a shell of pasta filata cheese, on the inside cream and strands of cheese (stracciatella).
On our menu: Tris di Montanare, Primavera, Salatina con Burrata
OUR PIZZA MAKER
Carmine
Carmine is the one baking for us. He started out in 1996 with semi-finished products for pastry and delicatessen and later moved on to bread baking. You can read how he came to Neapolitan pizza on our “About us” page.