Today is a special day for lovers of good food and Neapolitan culture. Indeed, on 9th February, World Pizza Day is being celebrated in the four corners of the globe.
Can we live without pizza?
Today is a special day for lovers of good food and Neapolitan culture. In fact, on 9th February, the four corners of the globe are celebrating World Pizza Day, the second of two world days dedicated to the famous Neapolitan speciality. The first takes place on 17th January, St Anthony's Day, the patron saint of pizza makers. This is a celebration that can be honoured in one of the pizzerias in your city (preferably in Naples or Campania), with a more convenient takeaway pizza or with some tasty do-it-yourself recipe. The important thing is that you contribute in some way to the celebration of the Neapolitan culinary patent, the pride and joy of the dinner tables of half the planet. A dish that has satisfied the palate of entire generations, making men, women and children of every culture and nationality happy. Eating a good pizza, however, is not only an experience that satisfies the senses, but also an opportunity to get to know and experience in depth the way of being and thinking of the Neapolitan people. A cultural and educational experience. Are we exaggerating? Not at all.
We would like to remind you, in fact, that between 7th and 9th December 2017 the Neapolitan Pizza was solemnly proclaimed World Heritage by the twelfth Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, the notorious international organisation that protects, promotes and enhances the cultural and intangible assets of the entire planet.
From that day on, the Art of Pizzaiuolo Napoletano entered the Olympus of World Heritage Sites, alongside the Sistine Chapel, Pompeii and, of course, the historic centre of Naples.
But what are the reasons that led UNESCO to award the Neapolitan Pizza? One of the criteria was that Pizza is not only a purely gastronomic phenomenon, but also a true theatrical performance with multiple values. A social rite staged by the actor-pizzaiolo who, like a sort of shaman, bewitches his customers with his hieratic performance. A constant dialogue made up of gestures, as well as flavours and aromas. But it is also an opportunity for social redemption for many young people who, by learning this now sacred trade, can find an alternative to the inappropriate ways offered by the underworld.
So, don't waste any time, and hurry up and prepare the dough for your pizza, or hurry to the nearest pizzeria, while respecting, of course, the anti-Covid rules of your region. And enjoy a tasty slice of 'world heritage' with greater awareness!