List Of Pizza Varieties

Pizza, a staple of Italian cuisine, has become one of the most recognizable and popular dishes worldwide. Its widespread adoption into other cuisines, replacing the local traditional dishes, is traced to the early 20th century.

Europe

Italy

Authentic Neapolitan pizzas (''pizza napoletana'') are typically made with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. They can be made with ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and mozzarella di bufala Campana, made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state (this mozzarella is protected with its own European protected designation of origin).

According to the rules proposed by the ''Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana'', the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of wheat flour ( type ''0'' or ''00'', or a mixture of both), natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. For proper results, strong flour with high protein content (as used for bread-making rather than cakes) must be used. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine, and may be no more than thick. The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a stone oven with an oak-wood fire. When cooked, it should be crispy, tender and fragrant. There are three official variants: ''pizza marinara'', which is made with tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil, '' pizza Margherita'', made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil, and ''pizza Margherita extra'' made with tomato, sliced buffalo mozzarella from Campania, basil and extra virgin olive oil. The pizza napoletana is a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (''Specialità Tradizionale Garantita'', STG) product in Europe.

Roman pizza, pizza in Lazio ( Rome), as well as in many other parts of Italy, is available in two different styles. Take-away shops sell ''pizza rustica'' or '' pizza al taglio''. This pizza is cooked in long, rectangular baking pans and relatively thick (1–2 cm). The pizza is often cooked in an electric oven. It is usually cut with scissors or a knife and sold by weight. In pizzerias, pizza is served in a dish in its traditional round shape. It has a thin, crisp base quite different from the thicker and softer Neapolitan style base. It is usually cooked in a wood-fired oven, giving the pizza its unique flavor and texture. In Rome, a '' pizza napoletana'' is topped with tomato, mozzarella, anchovies and oil (thus, what in Naples is called ''pizza romana'', in Rome is called ''pizza napoletana''). Other types of Lazio-style pizza include:
* ''pizza romana'' (tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, oregano, oil)
* ''pizza viennese'' (tomato, mozzarella, German sausage, oregano, oil)
* '' pizza capricciosa'' (mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, artichokes, cooked ham, olives, oil)
* '' pizza quattro formaggi'' ("four cheese pizza": tomatoes, and the cheeses mozzarella, stracchino, fontina and gorgonzola; sometimes ricotta is swapped for one of the latter three)
* ''pizza bianca'' (" white pizza": a type of bread topped with olive oil, salt and, occasionally herbs, such as rosemary sprigs)
* it is also a Roman style to add figs to the pizza, the result being known as ''pizza e fichi'' and ''pizza alla casalinga'' ("Housewife pizza"): a thin layer of dough which is stretched into an oiled, square "Sicilian" pan, topped sparingly with shredded mozzarella, crushed uncooked canned tomatoes, chopped garlic and olive oil, and baked until the top bubbles and the bottom is crisp.

Pizza quattro stagioni is a popular style prepared with various ingredients in four sections, with each section representing a season of the year.

Pizza pugliese is prepared with tomato, mozzarella and onion.

Pizzetta is a small pizza that can range in size from around three inches in diameter to the size of a small personal-sized pizza. It may be served as an hors d'oeuvre.

Sicilian pizza is prepared in a manner originating in Sicily, Italy. Just in the US, the phrase ''Sicilian pizza'' is often synonymous with thick-crust or deep-dish pizza derived from the Sicilian ''Sfincione''. In Sicily, there is a variety of pizza called ''Sfincione''. It is believed that Sicilian pizza, Sfincione, or focaccia with toppings, was popular on the western portion of the island as far back as the 1860s.

Pisan pizza (''pizza pisana'') is a smaller and thicker pizza baked into metal plates and traditionally served with anchovies, capers and grated Grana Padano cheese. The slices are traditionally served folded with a slice of ''cecina'', a chickpeas cake, as street food in Pisa, its province and the nearby provinces of Leghorn and Lucca.

Legislation for traditional Italian pizza

There was a bill before the Italian Parliament in 2002 to safeguard the ''traditional Italian pizza'', specifying permissible ingredients and methods of processing (e.g., excluding frozen pizzas). Only pizzas which followed these guidelines could be called "traditional Italian pizzas" in Italy. On 9 December 2009, the European Union, upon Italian request, granted Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) safeguard to traditional Neapolitan pizza, in particular to "Margherita" and "Marinara". The European Union enacted a protected designation of origin system in the 1990s.

Hungary

Hungarians enjoy most of the traditional pizza toppings, but there are some unique local varieties, including "Magyaros" ("Hungarian-style") pizza, which usually has toppings like bacon, ''kolbász'' (Hungarian sausage), salami, hot peppers, and red onion. "White pizza" (see below) is also popular, especially because it's similar to Hungarian ''kenyérlángos'' or ''langalló'' (a type of flatbread often topped with sour cream, bacon and onions).

Pizza Hut opened its first restaurant in Hungary in 1992. Local pizza chains include Don Pepe, Pizza Forte, Il Treno, and Pizza King.

Iceland

While Iceland has many traditional American and Italian style pizza toppings, bananas are a common topping in both Iceland and Sweden.

Malta

The Maltese enjoy eating Italian style pizza and fast-food pizzas, including local produce. One style of fast-food pizza is the typical ''pizza kwadra'' (square pizza), which is found in Pastizzi shops (''pastizzeriji''), a deep- pan pizza cut into squares, generally topped with either green olives (''taż-żebbuġ''), hard boiled egg and cocktail sausage (''bajd u zalzett''), or chicken and barbecue sauce (''tat-tiġieġ''). A typical ''Pizzerija'' will offer a vast number of different pizza recipes, mostly based on local taste. A typical menu would Margherita, Capricciosa, Quattro Stagioni and other typical pizzas.

Pizza has become a household dish. Nevertheless, the traditional Maltese pizza consists of a typical Maltese ftira covered in cheese (mainly local gbejna), onions and potatoes. In fact, it is most often known simply as "ftira" and is mainly sold on the island of Gozo. Different toppings can be added, including tuna, olives, anchovies, sundried tomatoes, and even traditional Maltese sausage.

Norway

Norwegians eat the most pizza in the world according to a 2004 survey by ACNielsen 2004, 5.4 kg/year per capita. 50 million frozen pizzas were sold that year, with consumption being 22,000 tons of frozen pizza, 15,000 tons of home-baked and 13,000 tons of restaurant-made pizzas. By far the most popular is the frozen pizza brand Grandiosa; of all the pizzas frozen or fresh sold in Norway, every other pizza sold is a Pizza Grandiosa. Since its start in 1980 the Grandiosa has been part of Norwegian modern culture and trends, going so far to be unofficially called "The national dish of Norway".

Poland

According to thefirstnews.com, "...most ordered pizza in Poland is the capricciosa, while the favourite toppings in Poland are ham, salami, mushrooms, onions and bacon. Garlic dipping sauce is the favourite choice to accompany a pizza is with 68 percent choosing this and tomato sauce in second place with 14 percent."

Soviet Union

Pizza has only been known in Russia since the end of the 20th century. At the turn of the millennium, the first original Italian pizzerias opened in Russia. After that, pizza became a cult phenomenon. In Russia, high-class ingredients are often used as a topping. For example, the pizza is topped with caviar, salmon, beef fillets, mushrooms or truffles.

Sweden

The first pizza to be served in Sweden was in 1947 at the Asea staff canteen in Västerås but it was not until 1968 that it became available to the general public at the Stockholm restaurant Östergök. Pizzerias soon followed, run at first by Italian guest workers and subsequently by migrant Turks, which added an unmistakable hint of the Levant to the Swedish pizza. Swedish pizzas are thicker than the Neapolitan, with a more spiced sauce, and without the characteristic crisp texture, but make use of the traditional toppings, and most pizzerias in Sweden have Margherita, Capricciosa, and Quattro Stagioni pizzas at the top of the menu, although with altered recipes. For example, a Swedish Margherita uses Swedish hard cheese instead of mozzarella and dried oregano instead of fresh basil. The Swedish pizza has been developed with many innovations and styles, creating a tradition distinct from the Italian one, although some names may overlap. Occasionally pizzerias offer "Italian pizza" imitating Italian recipes in addition to the Swedish ones.

A typical Swedish pizzeria offers 40–50 different named varieties on the menu, even up to 100, and personal modifications are allowed. Also, many pizzerias also serve salads, lasagne, kebab and hamburgers, especially if there is a facility to sit and eat. Italian-style restaurants often combine a restaurant menu with a pizza menu.

Some popular varieties common in most of Sweden, mostly with the same name, all having tomato sauce and cheese to start with and additional toppings:
* Africana: ham/beef/chicken, banana, pineapple, onion, curry powder
* Bolognese: minced meat, onion, (fresh tomato)
* Calzone (folded): ham
* Capricciosa: mushrooms, ham
* Ciao-ciao (folded): beef, garlic, (onion)
* Frutti di mare: tuna, shrimp, mussels
* Hawaii: ham, pineapple
* Kebabpizza: döner kebab, onion, green peperoncini, (kebab sauce poured over after baking)
* Marinara: shrimp, mussels
* Mexicana: various recipes with minced beef, jalapeños, onion, spicy sauce and other spicy ingredients
* Napolitana: anchovies, olives, capers
* Quattro Stagioni: ham, shrimp, (mussels), mushrooms, artichoke
* Vegetariana: mushrooms, onion, ( pineapple), ( artichokes), ( asparagus), ( red bell pepper)
* other varieties with filet

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