It is curious that a food that was born to calm the hunger of the most disadvantaged population of Naples has crossed borders and has become one of the most famous and popular dishes in the world: pizza.
One of the first testimonies about Neapolitan pizza is found in Alexander Dumas, the author of 'The Three Musketeers', in 1830 who spoke about its variants during his stay in Naples.
For decades, Neapolitan pizza remained in the region until the economic miracle of the 1960s inspired young Neapolitans to make pizza part of Italian national culture and a gem that was to be exhibited around the world.
It is unknown when the recipe was born but the tradition of dressing bread with different ingredients was present in the Roman and Etruscan cultures. Perhaps the arrival in Europe of the tomato after the discovery of America, in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, transformed the way this food is cooked.
Neapolitan pizza has just been named Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. In Spain, the Roman style became popular, with the thin and crunchy dough, which is what can be found in most pizzerias while the Neapolitan one is more difficult to find. For this reason, below we will visit some establishments in Madrid where you can taste some good quality Neapolitan pizzas.
Picsa
The owners of this pizzeria on Calle Ponzano 76 brought the model of Neapolitan pizzas, Argentine style, to Madrid. Decorated with an industrial aesthetic and informality, the place has a large Spanish-made wood-fired oven where fourteen varieties of thick and fluffy pizza are cooked that, given their size, can feed at least two people.
At Picsa you can order pizzas by halves, whole or individual portions. They are light dough, not heavy at all, with a base layer of three cheeses on which the remaining ingredients are placed.
Anema e Core
Alma y Corazón or Anema y Core, is a Neapolitan pizzeria-restaurant located a step away from Ópera (Donados Street 2) that has become one of the best places to savor pizzas in the center of the capital.
The key to the success of Anema e Core's pizzas is a Sorrento stone oven brought expressly from Naples and in the resting time that baked pizzas must have. Although there are many varieties on the menu, more than a dozen, probably the tastiest are the simplest. In this way, one of the most recommended in this pizzeria is the Margarita, made with arugula, natural tomato and authentic buffalo mozzarella with designation of origin. Simply delicious.
Reginella
At 76 ModestoLafuente street we find Reginella, an Italian establishment where traditional-style Neapolitan pizzas are made with a wood-fired oven. The dough is made with wheat flour in the pizzeria itself daily to get tasty Neapolitan pizzas and just right.
Reginella has a varied and extensive menu where they have permanent specialties and others that are cooked every month off the menu. For this they bring ingredients directly from Italy such as Neapolitan sausage, mozarella, basil or sweet Campania tomato. One more reason to make a quick visit each month to this place.
Grosso Napoletano
Madrid can enjoy twice the Neapolitan pizzas with the Grosso Napoletano seal thanks to the pizzerias that their owners have on Calle Santa Engracia 48 and Calle Hermosilla 85. And that they only opened a year ago.
The Grosso Napoletano ovens were brought directly from Naples to offer a thick, fluffy-edged pizza with an oo-type, double-fermented, elastic dough of flour. Their pizzas are cooked at 500ºC for a minute and a half and the Margarita or Grosso, the house specialty, cannot be missing from their menu.
As a curiosity, they have a home delivery service and can also be ordered to collect at the premises and take home.
Totto e Cucumber
Two Neapolitan brothers opened Tottò e Pepino with the aim of offering genuine Neapolitan cuisine in Madrid. Their place was baptized with the name of a famous couple of Italian comedians and it could not be more successful because it is a party in which Italian cuisine is celebrated and pizza in particular.
In fact, at the moment they have one of the largest Neapolitan pizza offers in Madrid with 30 different ones. From the traditional Margarita to the calzone (stuffed) or the fried pizzas, a very popular delicacy in Naples. Neapolitan pizza lovers can find this restaurant on Calle Fernando VI 29.