Cross Culture Understanding

“Italy”

By:
Yulia Tamalasari 1600004085
Safira Nur Isnaini 1600004101
Mela Rianti 1600004107

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 Italy

Italy is famous for its food as much as

for its huge artistic and historical
assets and for the fashion industry.
Italians love their food, which is
usually prepared freshly by the
“Mama”, but more and more men
love to cook and break away from
the typical image of the Italian
"macho".

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 Pizza

Pizza is one of the most popular

foods around the world! In fact, pizza can
be found in almost every country in the
world. The word “pizza” is thought to have
come from the Latin word pinsa, meaning
flatbread (although there is much debate
about the origin of the word).
By the 18th century, this dish had
become the cost-effective way of
feeding the peasantry. The Italians also
found a new fruit brought over from the
New World. This is how the humble
tomato made its way onto the traditional
flatbread.

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 The Origin of Pizza

Pizza was relatively unknown until 1889. Till Queen Margherita

and King Umberto I toured their kingdom, and the queen noticed this
delicious peasant dish. She adored it! Soon, Her personal chef was
creating a series of pizzas – all according to her personal tastes. The
chef won her over with a creation that saluted the colours of the Italian
flag. The green (basil), red (tomatoes) and white (mozzarella). This dish
was named for the monarch, and gave us the Margherita pizza we know
today.
Pizza’s next big break came in the form of World War II. Allied
soldiers stationed in Italy fell in love with the dish and demanded its
recreation back home. This gave rise to the countless pizzerias and pizza
chains that are around the world today.

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 The Real Pizza The Italian Way

The Italians formed a governing body called the ‘True

Neapolitan Pizza Association (TNPA) in 1984. The Association upholds
the standards of true Neapolitan pizza. Only the Margherita and Marinara
are regarded as authentic Italian pizzas. The Margherita is made from
tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The Marinara has tomato, garlic,
oregano, extra virgin olive oil and possibly basil. There are very strict
rules for the use of either of these pizza names on Italian soil.

To be called ‘authentic Italian’, the pizza must be round and no

more than 13 and three-quarter inches in diameter. It must have a center
of less than one-tenth of an inch tall, and a crust of three-quarters of an
inch thick or less. The dough must be kneaded by hand; and prepared
from traditional types of flour, yeast, salt and tomatoes. The important
difference that distinguishes authentic Italian pizza from other countries
is from toppings, the ingredients, and texture of the dough.

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 Margherita Pizza

The Margherita is
made from tomato
sauce and
mozzarella cheese.
This is one of the
uthentic Italian
Pizza.

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 Marinara Pizza

The Marinara has

tomato, garlic,
oregano, extra
virgin olive oil and
possibly basil,

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 Why do Italians like pizza?

52 percent of people surveyed said pizza was their favourite dish, with
39 percent saying it satisfied them “on an emotional level.”

But the full extent of the country’s love for pizza has been revealed in
a study by the Osservatorio Buitoni Culinary Lab, who surveyed some
2,500 Italians aged 20-55, Italian media reports.
52 percent said they ate pizza “at least once a week” and 34 percent
said they gave in to the temptation to eat pizza “whenever they
wanted.”

Most people said they enjoyed sharing, and ten percent said they often
have pizza for Sunday lunch. But only four percent said they’d eat pizza
every single day. Apart from the taste, respondents said they loved
pizza because it’s cheap, portable and satisfying.

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 Why do Italians like pizza?

One Italian in ten said pizza made them feel happy.

And there may be a scientific explanation for pizza’s huge popularity in
Italy and beyond.

The combination of pizza's ingredients "seem to be especially

rewarding and do not occur together in foods found in nature ... and
this may contribute to its association with addictive-like eating
behaviours," said to Erica M. Schulte, a doctoral candidate in clinical
psychology at the University of Michigan, who authored a study on
food addiction which ranked pizza as the food “most associated with
symptoms of addiction.”

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 Differences between US and Italian Pizza

Brought to the US by Italian immigrants and made popular by

service men returning home from World War II, the delicious dish
quickly took the country by storm. Initially, the US pies were probably
very similar to the pies in Italy, but as the dish became increasingly
popular in the US, it was changed to fit American tastes.

1. The Sauce
A key difference between the American and Italian versions is the type
of sauce used. In the US, a slow-cooked tomato sauce is used. Some
restaurants create their own tangy recipes to give their pizzas a unique
taste that you can’t find anywhere else.
However, this is not the case in Italy, to the surprise of many an
American visitor. Instead, you are more likely to find olive oil, pureed
fresh tomatoes, garlic, and oregano on your pizza. This gives the pizza
a fresh, herby taste that infuses the crust underneath.

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 Differences between US and Italian Pizza

2, The Meat

In the US, you are more likely to be able to have the pizza done your
way. America is the home of the meat lover’s special. You’ll see
every type of meat piled on top of a pizza – sausage, pepperoni,
hamburger, bacon, ham, the list goes on and on.

Italians are horrified by this approach to pizza. They consider it a

sacrilege. In Italy, mixing meats just isn’t done – they appreciate the
unique flavors of each type of meat. They don’t generally include a
savory medley of different types of meats in one dish. They often
view meat lover’s pizza is a part of the US tradition of excess, but
that doesn’t mean that this type pizza isn’t tasty.

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 Differences between US and Italian Pizza

3. The Crust

In Italy, you’ll find a wide variety of crusts; it seems like every tiny
village has their own unique version. In some places, the crust is so
thin it’s like eating cheese crackers with toppings piled on top. Again,
different, but tasty.

In the US, in addition to thin crust pizza, we also have deep-dish pizza,
which is an entirely American creation. Some deep dish pizza crusts
are so thick you might think you are eating fresh baked bread with
some toppings on it.

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 Differences between US and Italian Pizza

4. Variety

The US has taken what was once hearty workman’s fare sold by street
vendors in Napoli and created an international dish. This was achieved
by putting every type of topping you could conceive of on a pizza. But
not all at once (meat lover’s pizza aside). We now have Hawaiian (ham
and pineapple), Cajun (shrimp and Cajun seasoning), and “Everything”
(needs no explanation).

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thanks!

ANY QUESTIONS?

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