Topped with red tomato, white mozzarella and green basil, The Margherita, one of the pillars in the Neapolitan pizza family, was designed to bring to mind the colors of the Italian national flag.
那不勒斯披萨家族的当家之作——玛格丽特披萨,以红番茄、白干酪、和绿色的罗勒为馅料。这种馅料的颜色搭配旨在让人联想到意大利国旗。
Italy, the birthplace of Neapolitan pizza, has been trying to draw the world’s attention to its fading pizza culture. Xinhua News Agency reported that Italy has filed an application requesting to put this pizza on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List.
意大利正是那不勒斯披萨的发源地。在那里,日渐衰退的披萨文化正在努力引起全世界的关注。据新华社报道,意大利已经提出申请,希望将那不勒斯披萨列入联合国教科文组织非物质文化遗产。
Naples, located in Italy’s south, supposedly invented the dish back in the 1700s. With its unique artistic value as well as its cultural heritage, the Neapolitan not only sets the standard for what a good pizza is, but also represents the pizza culture of Italy.
那不勒斯坐落在意大利南部,据推测,其披萨的制作历史可追溯到18世纪。那不勒斯人民凭借独特的艺术美感和文化传承,不仅为好披萨定下了标准,更代表了意大利披萨文化。
Hand-crafted art
出自双手的艺术
As chefs the world over focus on artisanal cooking, the culinary skills behind the Neapolitan pizza have gained even greater value and distinction.
由于世界各地的厨师十分关注手工艺烹饪,那不勒斯披萨的烹饪技巧因此更具价值,也备受赞誉。
Unlike with most mass-produced pizzas, preparing a Neapolitan requires pizza makers follow an exact formula and be skillful in spinning the pizza dough. Additionally, pizza makers should include natural Neapolitan yeast and extra virgin olive oil in the dough preparation process.
不同于批量生产的披萨,制作那不勒斯披萨需要遵循精准的配方,要想用手将披萨饼胚在半空中旋转起来也要掌握特殊的技巧。此外,披萨饼师傅还需要天然的那不勒斯酵母与特级初榨橄榄油来发面和面。
To ensure their products are quality, pizza makers bake their pies in ovens fired by oak wood to bake dough that has fermented for 24 hours, ensuring each Neapolitan pizza has an elastic, crispy and tender crust and aromatic toppings.
为了确保披萨的质量,师傅们将生面团发酵24小时后再放入烤箱,并用橡木火烘焙。这样,每一个那不勒斯披萨才能面饼筋道、外皮酥脆香嫩,馅料芳香可口。
Pizza culture
披萨文化
Immigrants brought Italian pizza to US shores in the late 19th century. Since then, it has gradually turned into a fast-food business staple.
十九世纪晚期,意大利披萨随着移民传入北美。自此,渐渐走上了快餐主食的道路。
Last year the BBC estimated that there were more than 40 million Americans who consumed pizza on any given day. But there are fundamental differences between Italian pizza and its better-known American counterpart.
据BBC去年的估算,在美国,披萨每天的购买量已超过四千万人次。但意式披萨与这种大家熟知的美式披萨有着天壤之别。
“You have to bear in mind that while in the majority of Italy this [pizza] is an artisanal product, in the US it is more related to ‘junk food’,” European nutritionist Giuseppe Russolillo told the BBC.
欧洲营养学家朱塞佩•鲁索利洛在接受BBC采访时表示:“大家应该知道大多数意大利披萨都是手工艺作品,而美国的披萨往往是‘垃圾食品’”。
Italians view their pizza as a national icon and source of pride. For some, being a pizza maker isn’t frowned upon, but something to be celebrated.
意大利人将披萨视为他们的国家标志和骄傲。对一些人来说,成为一名披萨饼师傅没什么不好,而且还更值得庆祝。
“In Italy, when you say, ‘Hey, I am a pizza maker,’ it’s a job that’s very respected and very well-paid,” pizza chef Graziano Bertuzzo told NPR. Whereas in the US, he says, it is more common to see “a 17-year-old boy going to a local pizza shop and slapping an apron on and throwing some sauce and cheese on a pizza”.
正如披萨厨师格拉齐亚诺•贝尔图左在接受NPR采访时所说:“在意大利,如果你说,‘嗨,我是一名披萨饼师傅,’ 那你正在做着一份受人尊敬且收入颇丰的工作。而在美国,你在披萨店里更常见的是那些拍拍围裙,把果酱和干酪扔在披萨上的十七岁大男孩。”