Where to get your slice of true Neapolitan pizza in Australia

Naples famous style of blistered-crust pizza, with its tricolore of tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, has been recognised by the United Nations.

The art of the Neapolitan pizza maker was added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) list of Intangible Cultural Heritage items at ceremony in Korea last week.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage list aims to preserve traditions or living expressions "inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events."

Along with the unique style of Italian pizza making, handed down through generations of Neapolitan families, the list also recognises Belgian beer culture, falconry, yoga, the manufacture of Portuguese cowbells and the Mongolian coaxing ritual for camels.

The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), a non-profit Naples-based organisation committed to promoting and protecting true Neapolitan pizza around the world since 1984, applied for the heritage listing three years ago.

"Being recognised by UNESCO is a massive achievement for the organisation," says Johnny Di Francesco, owner of Melbourne's 400 Gradi Group and the Australian delegate for the AVPN.

"Our main goal is to preserve the product and make people understand that this is a profession. It's not just about slapping pizzas together. This is an achievement for the people who make the product worldwide."

The AVPN has 11 pages of regulations that specify exactly how true Neapolitan pizza should taste, smell, appear and be made, including:

• Pizzas must be marinara (tomato, oil, oregano and garlic) and/or margherita (tomato, oil, mozzarella or fior di latte, grated cheese and basil).
• Wheat flour type "00" must be used.
• The base must be prepared by hand as a pizza maker's skill enables
• him or her to determine the movement of air in the base.
• Tomatoes that are genetically modified or altered to increase desired traits are not accepted.
• Cooking must be done in a wood-fire oven which has reached 485°C.
• The cooking time should not exceed 90 seconds.
• The crust should deliver the flavour of well-prepared, baked bread.
• The end product should be should be soft, elastic, easy to manipulate and fold.

"True Neapolitan pizza making starts from the time you put water into the bowl for making dough," says Di Francesco. "Every step is important. Every step has a reason behind why we do it. The art is in the technique. If you look at the way we stretch our pizza, for instance, there's a slapping technique that's very unique to any other pizza style."

"People perceive pizza as a fast food, but this style of pizza is not. It's a product that's light on the stomach so you can finish it and say 'Wow. I've just had a great meal, and I'm walking away feeling fantastic'."

There are approximately 700 pizzerias in Italy and around the world accredited by the AVPN to make pizza in the true Naples style, including 19 Australia restaurants.

To apply for accreditation in Australia, a pizzeria must first cook a margherita or two for Di Francesco.

"I visit the restaurant and discuss anything it needs to improve on," says Di Francesco. "I ask a few questions, look at their technique and product, and when I'm satisfied I let Naples know and they become accredited. It sounds simple but the whole process can take up to a year."

"In my first conversation with the operators, I say to them, 'if you think this certification and AVPN logo out the front of your store is going to increase business, it will not'. Most people aren't aware of the organisation. For the pizza makers, it's all about passion."

Where to find AVPN accredited pizza in Australia

VIC

400 Gradi 99 Lygon Street, East Brunswick 400gradi.com.au

La Svolta 450 Hampton Street, Hampton lasvolta.com.au

Il Pizzaiolo 61-163 Darebin Road, Thornbury ilpizzaiolo.com.au

Gradi Crown Shop 25, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank gradicrown.com.au/gradicrown

Circa 900 Pizzeria Napoletana 321 High Street, Kew circa900.com.au

400 Gradi Essendon 110 Keilor Road, Essendon 400gradi.com.au

Mozzarella Bar 103 Victoria Street, Seddon mozzarellabar.com.au

Pizzaiolo Micheluccio 1398 Toorak Road, Camberwell pizzaiolomicheluccio.com.au

NSW

Da Mario 36 Morley Avenue, Rosebery damario.com.au

Gigi Pizzeria 379 King Street, Newtown gigipizzeria.com.au

Lucio Pizzeria 248 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst luciopizzeria.com.au/darlinghurst

Aperitivo 163 Norton Street, Leichhardt aperitivo.com.au

Queen Margherita of Savoy Shop 9, 2-8 Surf Road, Cronulla qmos.com.au

Anema e Core 62 Constitution Road, Meadowbank anemaecore.com.au

Lucio Pizzeria Zetland 2-4 Defries Avenue, Zetland luciopizzeria.com.au/zetland

Verace Pizzeria 7 Khartoum Road, Macquarie Park veracepizzeria.com.au

QLD

Double Zero 2/2715 Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach doublezeropizza.com.au

Tartufo 1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley tartufo.com.au

SA

Etica Pizzeria 125 Gilles Street, Adelaide etica.pizza