What Is The Real Taste Of Authentic Italian Pizza Like?

Pizza has been a staple of Italian heritage and food culture dating back to the 16th century. From there, it permeated the world, interpreted and served in a variety of ways and enjoyed by nearly everyone. But, what is genuine Italian pizza really like? What qualities make it the delicious and celebrated Italian cuisine that we all know and love? Here’s what indulging in a delicious slice of pizza in Italy is truly like.

Love reading Culture Trip? How about travelling with us! Our Culture Trips are small-group tours that truly immerse you in a destination through authentic travel experiences. You can also embrace slow travel and the joys of journeying by train on our eco-friendly Rail Trips.

Basil Food Garlic Sauce Italian Pizza Crust

First of all, whether you’re sitting seaside in Sicily, admiring the Tuscan countryside or observing the twinkling lights of the Colosseum as night falls, you will find that Italian pizzas aren’t served as a slice, but most commonly as a whole pie. Although you may discover that each commune in Italy has its own personal tweaks and styles, you will likely be left to apportion the tasty morsel yourself. Often when people order a pizza, they’re expecting to share. However, in Italy, each person will get their own massive pie and trade pieces around the table.

The sauce is the next important factor and is usually made from peeled local Italian tomatoes, most often San Marzano, grown meticulously in rich Italian soil and blended with a variety of well-portioned herbs. Another oddity is that this sauce is not cooked alongside the other toppings but remains fresh and chilled atop the crust. In some versions, Italian pizza is served entirely without sauce, called bianca, and is instead lightly doused with olive oil.

The toppings may be one of the most surprising properties that sets authentic Italian pizza apart from its recreations and mimics. Instead of small slices of pepperoni or a sprinkling of shredded cheese, you’ll find large discs of prosciutto or slabs of gooey buffalo mozzarella. There is also an entire niche of toppings that are hard to come by anywhere else in the world, such as eggplant, artichokes, pumpkin, truffle, and salty capers. Lastly, pizzas are often topped with a delicate drizzle of olive oil to lend smooth uniformity and then a scattering of aromatic leafy basil.

When approaching your first experience trying truly bona fide Italian pizza, avoid thinking it will be the superior version of your favorite slice back home. True Italian pizza is a mouth-watering and robust entity all its own and is incomparable to any ideas or preconceptions of the meal you may have. Immerse yourself in the unique occurrence that is dining in Italy with one of their most special and honored creations.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.