Italian cuisine is legendary – known worldwide for pasta and pizza. Pizza is said to have originally been a Neapolitan dish. What we generally call pizza encompasses a huge variety of different pizzas in its birthplace. And this doesn't just mean different pizza toppings, but many different ways of making pizza. In Italy, pizza is traditionally eaten in the evening, because when made properly, the dough needs time to rise undisturbed.
Pizza and friends
You can choose pizza toppings to suit your own taste. However, cheese is always an essential part of pizza. That's why our wine recommendation for pizza is a wine that tastes delicious with cheese. Monte dos Amigos Rosé is a medium-dry, medium-acid rosé wine with berry flavor notes. The wine's Portuguese name means "Among Friends." It tastes best when shared, just like a delicious, steaming pizza fresh from the oven!
You can find price and product information here.
Neapolitan pizza – pizza Napoletana – was originally food that fishermen took with them. An authentic Neapolitan pizza has a thick, soft base. Neapolitan pizza is considered one of the most flavorful. Its base is left to rise for almost 24 hours and it's baked quickly in a hot oven, which keeps the toppings tasty. It's said that if you haven't eaten authentic Neapolitan pizza, you don't know anything about real pizza!
Sicilian-style pizza has a soft bread base. The milk used in the pizza cheese comes from sheep or goats. A special feature is that breadcrumbs are added on top of this pizza, and traditionally its base is made in a square shape.
Roman pizza has a thin base. We've all surely admired how smoothly skilled chefs toss pizza bases in the air. It's not just a display of skill, but ensures an evenly consistent base.
Pizza gradually began to be made outside Italy as well, and the first variations emerged in the United States.
New York style? New York-style pizza has a slightly thicker base than Italian pizzas. To suit the hectic lifestyle of the big city, they're cut into large slices that are easy to take with you. However, the base is thin enough that you can fold the slice in half, so the toppings don't fall off even when you're on the move or eating standing up!
What about Chicago style? The toppings are amusingly in reverse order. The toppings and cheese go on the base, with tomato sauce on top. It's a deep-dish type of thick pizza – it's baked in a pan.
What comes to mind with white pizza? It's a pizza made without sauce, where the toppings go directly on the base. Mozzarella or ricotta cheese is often chosen. Since it doesn't have traditional sauce, it gets richness and moisture from crème fraîche.
A quick pizza can be made from tortilla bases if friends show up unexpectedly. Spread whatever toppings you have in the fridge on the tortilla bases, sprinkle grated cheese on top, pop it in the oven, and in a moment – la pizza è pronta.
And in the glasses, friendship-celebrating Monte dos Amigos Rosé, available in regular and half bottles. An easygoing wine for socializing and a good companion for pizza.
P.S. Does pineapple belong on pizza? For Italians, pineapple on pizza is completely impossible. In Finland, opinions are strongly divided. Which camp do you belong to?
