World's Best Pizza
Here's
our listing of some of the most delicious pizzas the world over.
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-39283338
By Jada A. Graves
Rome, Italy
Photo: Shoebill2/Wikimedia Commons
What is it about pizza that makes us
love it so much? Is it the savory cheeses, the pliable crust or the aromatic
sauce? Perhaps it's the customizable nature of the treat. Each pizza is
different; across the country -- the world, even -- foodies get to compliment
their pies with the toppings they most love. You can call it an Italian
creation, an American staple or even a Brazilian standby, but one thing's for
sure: we all crave pizza. But where should you expect to taste the best slice?
#6:
Rome,
Italy
While other cities try to entice you
with the whole pie, Rome's claim to fame is offering pizza al taglio, or
"by the cut." This variety has a thin crust and is normally baked on
rectangular trays in a wood-burning oven. Tasty toppers include prosciutto,
asparagus, zucchini, eggplant and potato, but when in doubt, you can also order
a traditional margherita with just tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. Vendors
will allow you to determine just how big a slice you want (you'll be charged
based on its weight), after which they'll cut your slice, fold it and wrap it
in paper to go.
Where to Taste: Pizza al taglio is a convenient snack to have while
sightseeing. You could order from Da Michele by the Trevi Fountain (opt for the
kosher aliciotti e indivia with anchovies and endives), or at Da Remo by the Pantheon (try the zucca pizza with pumpkin).
Chicago, USA
Photo: scaredy_kat/Flickr
#5:
Chicago,
USA
The foundation of any Chicagoan's pizza
is a thick, crunchy layer of crust that's been stretched up the sides of a
deep-dish steel pan. That dough is then layered, starting with mozzarella
cheese, followed by any preferred toppings (such as pepperoni, mushrooms or
sausage) before it's coated in a layer of chunky tomato sauce. The first
Chicago-style pie was served at Pizzeria Uno in 1943, and present-day diners
can still frequent this Ohio Street and Wabash Avenue fountainhead to eat one
of the city's most identifiable dishes. Bonus: you don't need to be in Chi-town
to taste the magic; Pizzeria Uno is now a popular chain restaurant (known as
Uno Chicago Grill) throughout the country.
Where to Taste: An employee at the original Pizzeria Uno, Rudy Malnati is
the disputed creator of the traditional deep-dish pizza recipe. And according
to many, his son Lou serves up one of the best incarnations of Chicago's
"casseroles" in the entire city. You can eat at his establishment,
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, in the River North area.
Osaka and Hiroshima, Japan
Photo: mdid/Flickr
#4:
Osaka
and Hiroshima,
Japan
Sometimes called the "Japanese
pancake" and at other times called the "Japanese omelette,"
okonomiyaki's flat shape and assorted ingredients have also earned it the
nickname, "Japanese pizza." Even the phrase okonomiyaki loosely
translates to "cooked as you want it," which sounds a little like
what makes pizza so special in the first place. But what exactly is
okonomiyaki? At its base is batter (made from flour, eggs, water, cabbage and
cooking stock) paired with your desired combination of cheese, vegetables, fish
and meat. In the city of Osaka, where the most popular version of the dish
originated, all the ingredients are cooked together (by grilling on both sides)
before the pizza is topped with a sweet brown sauce, mayonnaise, katsuobushi
(bonito flakes) and aonori (seaweed flakes). If you're dining in Hiroshima, the
cook will fix your okonomiyaki batter first before layering on the other fixings.
Where to Taste: Several Japanese eateries earn a shout-out for their
"Japanese pizza." Osaka's Mangetsu restaurant serves an okonomiyaki
original sauce that "tingles and tantalizes your taste buds to the point
you can't stop eating the food that's covered in it," according to a
satiated Virtual Tourist. And foodies across the web recommend Hassho, a
Japanese chain scattered through Hiroshima Prefecture, for the best sampling of
that city's style of the dish.
São Paulo, Brazil
Photo:
Andrew in Durham/Flickr
Many Paulistanos in this
self-proclaimed "Pizza Capital of the World" have a ritual of eating
pizza every Sunday. And it's not hard to find a place to indulge, as Reuters
reports that there are more than 6,000 parlors in this city. São Paulo's
obsession with pizza dates back to the early 20th century, when Italian
immigrants moved to the Braz district and their culinary tastes began to
infiltrate Brazilian culture. Now, city residents even celebrate "Pizza
Day" on July 10. People in São Paulo barely use tomato sauce, but they
practically smother their pies in mozzarella cheese; popular pizza varieties
include Portuguesa (also sprinkled with ham, onion, hard-boiled eggs and black
olives) and Casteloes (which adds spicy Calabrese sausage). Whatever you do, be
sure to abstain from adding ketchup to your slice -- though this is a popular
topping in the rest of Brazil,
no self-respecting Paulistano would dare besmirch their pizza with the
condiment.
Where to Taste: Casual and hard-core foodies agree that the best place to
try a little São Paulo pizza is Braz, one of the city's most popular parlor
chains. Pizza is served rodízio style, where you pay a fixed price for
all-you-can-eat and servers mill the premises offering various types of pie.
New York City, USA
Photo: Eric__I_E/Flickr
One of the more recognizable pies of
the United States, New York-style pizza is characterized by a puffy outer crust
that gets thinner and crispier toward the middle. Tricks of the trade include
hand-tossed dough and cooking the pizza on a stone rather than in a pan. And as
any New Yorker will tell you, there's another key element to the Big
Apple's slices -- the city's delectable tap water. Who is to say whether
the water's importance is myth or actual method (The editors of the foodie blog
Serious Eats even conducted a considerably comprehensive but ultimately
unsatisfactory study)? Eddie & Sam's pizzeria in Tampa, Fla. seems to think so: The owners proudly boast to
importing New York tap water for the making of their dough.
Where to Taste: The hands-down favorite for New York parlors is Lombardi's
Pizzeria, located in NoHo. Considered the first pizza parlor in the United
States, Lombardi's also gets a shout-out from travelers for using fresh
ingredients. Just come ready to chow down -- this pizzeria doesn't sell by the
slice.
Naples, Italy
Photo: @joefoodie/Flickr
#1:
Naples,
Italy
There's a reason the city of Naples
earns the first slot on our list. It's because the Neapolitan pizza is the most
enduring recipe the world over, and recipes originated in other cities are
often just variations on Napoli's theme. And considering there's even an
organization devoted to the upholding the authenticity of the dish -- the
Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana -- it's evident that this city takes
dough-making and cheese-melting seriously. The wheat flour dough of a true
pizza napoletana is kneaded into a pancake shape that shouldn't exceed 11
inches across, before it's smothered in fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil and San
Marzano tomatoes. It's then cooked in a wood-fired dome oven at approximately
900 degrees Fahrenheit for no more than a minute and a half.
Where to Taste: Serious foodies disagree on where you'll find Naples' best
pizzas, but there are a few favorites: Located on the city's Via Sersale,
Antica Pizzeria da Michele is one of the more popular spots -- as evidenced by
the long lines (and its cameo appearance in the movie Eat, Pray, Love).
There's also Pizzeria Brandi, oftentimes credited as the place that first
served pizza margherita.