Quiz on Pizza

Which Italian city is widely regarded as the birthplace of pizza?

• Naples ✓ (Correct answer)
• Rome
• Milan
• Venice

Source: Naples gave the world the flatbread-and-tomato pie; UNESCO even protects its pizza-making craft as cultural heritage.

What cheese traditionally tops a classic Margherita pizza?

• Mozzarella ✓ (Correct answer)
• Cheddar
• Parmesan
• Provolone

Source: Fresh mozzarella's milky melt is the standard; the Margherita's white, red and green echo the Italian flag.

What dough ingredient makes pizza crust rise and become airy?

• Yeast ✓ (Correct answer)
• Baking soda
• Eggs
• Cornstarch

Source: Yeast ferments the dough's sugars into carbon dioxide, and a slow rise builds the deep flavour of good crust.

Which three colours of the Margherita pizza represent the Italian flag?

• Green, white, red ✓ (Correct answer)
• Blue, white, red
• Red, yellow, green
• Green, white, orange

Source: The pie was reportedly made to honour Queen Margherita, mirroring Italy's tricolore with basil, mozzarella and tomato.

What two toppings define a Hawaiian pizza?

• Ham and pineapple ✓ (Correct answer)
• Bacon and pineapple
• Ham and mushroom
• Chicken and pineapple

Source: Despite the tropical name, the Hawaiian was actually invented in Canada in 1962 by a Greek immigrant.

Which leafy green herb is the classic fresh topping on a Margherita?

• Basil ✓ (Correct answer)
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Rocket

Source: Basil supplies the 'green' of the tricolore; oregano is more often dried into the sauce than laid on fresh.

What spicy cured Italian sausage is America's most popular pizza topping?

• Pepperoni ✓ (Correct answer)
• Salami
• Chorizo
• Soppressata

Source: Pepperoni is actually an Italian-American invention; in Italy, asking for it gets you bell peppers.

Which oven type gives authentic Neapolitan pizza its charred, blistered crust?

• Wood-fired oven ✓ (Correct answer)
• Electric convection oven
• Gas grill
• Stone slow cooker

Source: A wood-fired oven hits around 485°C, cooking a true Neapolitan pie in just 60 to 90 seconds.

Which deep, thick-crust pizza style is associated with Chicago?

• Deep-dish ✓ (Correct answer)
• Thin-crust
• Neapolitan
• Sicilian

Source: Chicago deep-dish flips the build: cheese goes down first and chunky tomato sauce is ladled on top.

A pizza topped with four cheeses is known in Italian as which dish?

• Quattro formaggi ✓ (Correct answer)
• Quattro stagioni
• Capricciosa
• Diavola

Source: 'Quattro formaggi' means four cheeses; the similarly named 'quattro stagioni' instead splits toppings into four seasons.

A folded, sealed pizza pocket baked into a half-moon is called what?

• Calzone ✓ (Correct answer)
• Stromboli
• Panzerotti
• Focaccia

Source: The calzone, meaning 'trouser leg', was made portable so Neapolitan workers could eat pizza on the move.

Which classic pizza is topped with spicy salami and chilli flakes?

• Diavola ✓ (Correct answer)
• Arrabbiata
• Fra Diavolo
• Vesuvio

Source: Its name nods to the devil, but the real heat comes from fiery 'nduja or spianata in many modern versions.

A pizza split into four topped quarters classically represents what?

• Four seasons ✓ (Correct answer)
• Four cheeses
• Four regions
• Four flavours

Source: Each quarter marks a season: artichokes for spring, tomato for summer, mushrooms for autumn, ham for winter.

In a true Neapolitan pizzeria, what flour is preferred for the dough?

• Tipo 00 ✓ (Correct answer)
• Whole wheat
• Semolina
• Rye

Source: Finely milled 'Tipo 00' flour yields the silky, elastic dough that stretches without tearing for that classic thin base.

Which tomato variety is the prized choice for authentic Neapolitan pizza sauce?

• San Marzano ✓ (Correct answer)
• Roma
• Beefsteak
• Cherry

Source: San Marzano tomatoes grown near Vesuvius are low in acidity and sweet, earning their own protected designation.

Roughly how hot must a certified Neapolitan wood oven floor reach?

• 430°C ✓ (Correct answer)
• 230°C
• 330°C
• 530°C

Source: The official standard demands a floor near 430°C and a dome near 485°C, baking a pie in well under two minutes.

Which body grants 'Pizza Napoletana' its protected EU status?

• European Commission ✓ (Correct answer)
• FIFA
• UNESCO
• Slow Food

Source: The EU awarded Pizza Napoletana 'Traditional Speciality Guaranteed' status in 2010, locking in its recipe rules.

Which pizzaiolo is traditionally credited with creating the Margherita in 1889?

• Raffaele Esposito ✓ (Correct answer)
• Gennaro Lombardi
• Ippolito Cavalcanti
• Antonio Pace

Source: Esposito supposedly baked it for Queen Margherita's visit to Naples, though some historians doubt the romantic tale.

Detroit-style pizza gets its crispy, lacy cheese edge from baking in what?

• Automotive parts trays ✓ (Correct answer)
• Cast-iron skillets
• Copper pans
• Clay dishes

Source: Early Detroit pies were baked in blue steel trays from auto factories, giving the famous caramelised 'frico' crust.

Which cheese sits beneath the tomato on a traditional Sicilian sfincione?

• Caciocavallo ✓ (Correct answer)
• Mozzarella
• Pecorino
• Ricotta

Source: Sicily's spongy sfincione layers caciocavallo and breadcrumbs, closer to a savoury focaccia than a Neapolitan pie.