Italian or American pizza? Which one do you prefer?
It is often said that when something becomes famous, many imitations come out of it. dare I say, like italian , that pizza is the most imitated product in the world . So much so that the world is divided between orthodox (the faithful of Italian or Neapolitan pizza ), Y heterodox (the henchmen of the American pizza (or 'American', as it is called although it is not the most correct ). And then there is the third group of wayward: those who worship pizza with pineapple...
On the occasion of the second opening of the premises of Little Caesars in Madrid (the temple of American pizza), I wanted to check from the point of view of an Italian , which are the strengths of your offer and, at the same time, highlight the five most important differences with the Neapolitan pizza, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity since 2017.
The magic of mixing many ingredients and planting it on crispy dough
The most disruptive proposal of the third largest chain in the United States is the concept Hot N' Ready , meaning you can be in and out of the store in 30 seconds or less with a fresh-from-the-oven pizza in hand. York ham, pepperoni and barbecue pizzas are always available in this area, as well as Crazy Combo rolls.
Another of its strong points is the competitive price - both the Margarita and the Pepperoni are worth 5 euros - and according to Emilio Lliteras , one of those responsible for the chain in Spain, "the reason for our prices is simplicity, we do not do promotions and we have only one type of dough, one size and one short letter . We make it easy for the client and at the same time, we lower costs, without skimping on quality. Everything is fresh, except the pineapple, and we make the dough daily."
FIND THE FOUR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ITALIAN AND AMERICAN PIZZA
1.Put sauce on the pizza
A expert Italian pizza taster knows very well that the sauce should never stand out above the other ingredients , which is what usually happens with pizza from the country of stars and stripes. The sauces made in the United States , whether they are made with ripe tomatoes at their optimum point, are usually very spicy; the sauces made in Italy , rigorously made with fresh San Marzano tomato or another specialty, they hardly have any dressing.
2. Cheese is sacred
Something similar happens with the cheese and the other ingredients: in Italy or in Naples, less is more . The cheese - quality aside Buffalo mozzarella or otherwise – you should never overflow the pizza like there is no tomorrow. The same thing happens with cheese as with spices: italian pizza only has basil on top . The barbecue, the salami, the pepperoni, the pineapple, the chicken, the bacon... they are not there nor are they expected.
3.The secret is in the dough
Yes, it's true . The one with the pizza from the transalpine country is it thin or crunchy , depending on the specialty (the one from Naples is thin and barely baked, less than 1 minute; the one from the North or from Rome is crispy), while the dough of the american pizza is fluffy , because that's how his minions like it. In fact, Emilio Lliteras has told us that at Little Caesars Let the dough rest for half an hour more so that it is more spongy..
4.cooking
The final touch that differentiates a Neapolitan pizza from an American one is cooking, which in the first case It must be strictly in a wood oven . The difference lies in the flavor, that "plus" and that charred sensation can only be achieved with a wood oven.
The Italian: good cheese, in the right measure, and baked in a wood-fired oven
For all that has been said, it is clear that Italian pizza is healthier and more digestible than American . A red cappuccino (a margarita without cheese, very typical in Italy) is very light and low in calories (an average portion can have about 120). By contrast, an American pizza overflowing with cheese, with bacon, cream and egg, is around 250 calories per slice.
And you, are you Italian, American or both?