只要廚藝好 披薩也可如此文藝

Topped with red tomato, white mozzarella and green basil, The Margherita, one of the pillars in the Neapolitan pizza family, was designed to bring to mind the colors of the Italian national flag.

那不勒斯披薩家族的當家之作——瑪格麗特披薩，以紅番茄、白乾酪、和綠色的羅勒爲餡料。這種餡料的顏色搭配旨在讓人聯想到意大利國旗。

Italy, the birthplace of Neapolitan pizza, has been trying to draw the world’s attention to its fading pizza culture. Xinhua News Agency reported that Italy has filed an application requesting to put this pizza on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List.

意大利正是那不勒斯披薩的發源地。在那裏，日漸衰退的披薩文化正在努力引起全世界的關注。據新華社報道，意大利已經提出申請，希望將那不勒斯披薩列入聯合國教科文組織非物質文化遺產。

Naples, located in Italy’s south, supposedly invented the dish back in the 1700s. With its unique artistic value as well as its cultural heritage, the Neapolitan not only sets the standard for what a good pizza is, but also represents the pizza culture of Italy.

那不勒斯坐落在意大利南部，據推測，其披薩的製作歷史可追溯到18世紀。那不勒斯人民憑藉獨特的藝術美感和文化傳承，不僅爲好披薩定下了標準，更代表了意大利披薩文化。

Hand-crafted art

出自雙手的藝術

As chefs the world over focus on artisanal cooking, the culinary skills behind the Neapolitan pizza have gained even greater value and distinction.

由於世界各地的廚師十分關注手工藝烹飪，那不勒斯披薩的烹飪技巧因此更具價值，也備受讚譽。

Unlike with most mass-produced pizzas, preparing a Neapolitan requires pizza makers follow an exact formula and be skillful in spinning the pizza dough. Additionally, pizza makers should include natural Neapolitan yeast and extra virgin olive oil in the dough preparation process.

不同於批量生產的披薩，製作那不勒斯披薩需要遵循精準的配方，要想用手將披薩餅胚在半空中旋轉起來也要掌握特殊的技巧。此外，披薩餅師傅還需要天然的那不勒斯酵母與特級初榨橄欖油來發面和麪。

To ensure their products are quality, pizza makers bake their pies in ovens fired by oak wood to bake dough that has fermented for 24 hours, ensuring each Neapolitan pizza has an elastic, crispy and tender crust and aromatic toppings.

爲了確保披薩的質量，師傅們將生麪糰發酵24小時後再放入烤箱，並用橡木火烘焙。這樣，每一個那不勒斯披薩才能麪餅筋道、外皮酥脆香嫩，餡料芳香可口。

Pizza culture

披薩文化

Immigrants brought Italian pizza to US shores in the late 19th century. Since then, it has gradually turned into a fast-food business staple.

十九世紀晚期，意大利披薩隨着移民傳入北美。自此，漸漸走上了快餐主食的道路。

Last year the BBC estimated that there were more than 40 million Americans who consumed pizza on any given day. But there are fundamental differences between Italian pizza and its better-known American counterpart.

據BBC去年的估算，在美國，披薩每天的購買量已超過四千萬人次。但意式披薩與這種大家熟知的美式披薩有着天壤之別。

“You have to bear in mind that while in the majority of Italy this [pizza] is an artisanal product, in the US it is more related to ‘junk food’,” European nutritionist Giuseppe Russolillo told the BBC.

歐洲營養學家朱塞佩•魯索利洛在接受BBC採訪時表示：“大家應該知道大多數意大利披薩都是手工藝作品，而美國的披薩往往是‘垃圾食品’”。

Italians view their pizza as a national icon and source of pride. For some, being a pizza maker isn’t frowned upon, but something to be celebrated.

意大利人將披薩視爲他們的國家標誌和驕傲。對一些人來說，成爲一名披薩餅師傅沒什麼不好，而且還更值得慶祝。

“In Italy, when you say, ‘Hey, I am a pizza maker,’ it’s a job that’s very respected and very well-paid,” pizza chef Graziano Bertuzzo told NPR. Whereas in the US, he says, it is more common to see “a 17-year-old boy going to a local pizza shop and slapping an apron on and throwing some sauce and cheese on a pizza”.

正如披薩廚師格拉齊亞諾•貝爾圖左在接受NPR採訪時所說：“在意大利，如果你說，‘嗨，我是一名披薩餅師傅，’ 那你正在做着一份受人尊敬且收入頗豐的工作。而在美國，你在披薩店裏更常見的是那些拍拍圍裙，把果醬和乾酪扔在披薩上的十七歲大男孩。”