What You Need to Know About Neapolitan Pizza
This October 6th-8th, VPN Americas President Peppe Miele returns to the Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center to teach his second course – recommended to any aspiring pizzaiolo who wants to learn how to make traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas for professional purposes. This course will offer a theoretical and practical examination into the Neapolitan style in order to furnish students with essential knowledge of the physiological, morphological and genetic components of the products composing the Neapolitan pizza. Students will also acquire many secrets and skills that will be taught by VPN Certified Master Pizzaiolo himself, Peppe Miele, and will spend the majority of the time preparing the dough, forming the balls, slapping the dough, cooking pizza and preparing all the ingredients you need.
The European Community has granted “Pizza Napoletana” STG or Specialty Tradition Guaranteed status to distinguish it from non-authentic pizzas. On May 24, 2004 the Italian government officially defined Pizza Napoletana with an STG designation for the European Union. This is a translation of the decree:
“The Ministry of Agricultural received the petition to register the classification of Specialita’ Tradizionale Garantita (Guaranteed Specialty Tradition) for the product “Pizza Napoletana” as presented in the following Articles 1-13 of the regulation (EEC) number 2082/92, from the Genuine Pizza Napoletana Association and from the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, both headquartered in Naples, in order to create this product classification, and to distinguish it clearly from other similar products and to protect the consumer. We verify that the petition of production has been requested in the Italian language and the creation of the product obtained “according to the Italian tradition” and will proceed with the publication of the text of the two methods of production.”
Department of Agricultural Food Product Quality and Consumer Protection
Division QTC III
via XX September n. 20
00187 Rome
The document goes on to include regulations in eight different articles including…
The Name of the Product, Ingredients, Method of Production, Traditional Character, Features of the Final Product, Storage, Signage and Brand, and Monitoring. The full, original declaration can be read here.
Instructor Peppe Miele is the President of VPN Americas, the American delegation of Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana.
Back in 1992, he opened the original Antica Pizzeria and for the first time provided the LA culinary public with delicious Authentic Neapolitan Pizza. Antica Pizzeria was the first restaurant in the US certified by the AVPN. After he closed his restaurant in 2011, he dedicated his time to the promotion of the Neapolitan pizza across America, first opening the Accademia della Pizza Napoletana in Marina del Rey (CA) and later, founding Napoletana Consulting, the most accredited consulting company for Neapolitan style pizzeria in the USA known as  VPN America
So, what does a pizza maker need to learn about authentic Neapolitan pizza, you may be wondering? For starters, anyone serious about the topic must familiarize themselves with the following topics which our class will outline including:
- The history of pizza and it’s ingredients
- The technical aspects of equipment and tools
- Proper oven operation and usage
- Dough stretching/slapping
- Appropriate topping of ingredients
- How to create the perfect Neapolitan-style pizza
It is our honor to promote the authentic traditions of culinary culture of Naples with comprehensive classes like this one!
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