Italy chooses Neapolitan pizza for UNESCO Cultural Heritage listMarch 27, 2015 - 10:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Italy has chosen Neapolitan pizza as its candidate for protection under UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, AFP reports. The Italian National Commission for UNESCO decided to recognize "the art of Neapolitan pizza makers" in tribute to their culinary skills. The list "is composed of intangible heritage elements that concerned communities and states parties consider require urgent measures to keep them alive", according to the UNESCO website. Naples has long been determined to maintain its reputation as the spiritual home of one of the world's favorite foods. Neapolitan pizza is characterized by its raised crust rendered golden by oven cooking, by the crispy yet tender consistency of its pastry, and by its acid tomato taste, along with aromas of oregano, garlic, basil and mozzarella. The role of the pizza maker, or pizzaiolo, and the wood-fire oven are also determining characteristics of the Neapolitan pizza. The base should be no more than 3 millimeters (about an eighth of an inch) thick and cooked for between 60 and 90 seconds in a stone oven with an oak-wood fire. The Neapolitan pizza was invented in the southern Italian city between 1715 and 1725, with the world-famous Margherita variant first cooked up in 1889. Tradition has it that Queen Margherita of Savoy asked one of Naples' famed pizzaiole to come up with a dish for the people. The result, which provides the basis for most pizzas enjoyed around the world, represented the colours of recently unified Italy: green basil, white mozzarella and red tomatoes. Photo: Lonely Planet Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. |