Familiar to all of us, beloved by many, it is not only a national dish of Italy and brings a lot of positive emotions during meal, but also has healing properties.

Its counterparts exist in manty countries, and some countries, even modificating its usual forms, move this dish to fast food category. World cooks, participating in an undeclared contest, call records in production of the largest pizza, the worst one and the one with most unimaginable combination of fillings.

Dish guaranteeing health

It turns out, not only Italian cooks like pizza, but also physicians and scientists, who are trying to prove its need for human body in every possible way. For example, in the end of last century, researchers from Pharmacology Institute of Milan found out that consumption of pizza can lower risk of cancer. The study interviewed more than 9000 residents of Italy, and established the following pattern: the risk of falling ill is much higher among those, who have never tried pizza. Such effect is provided by spices and tomatoes, as well as non-yeasted dough.

Italian scientists also say that pizza has protective properties against adverse sunlight. And fans of a long stay on the beach are recommended to eat a piece of pizza before leaving in the sun. Blocking effect is the same as in previous studies, attributed to tomatoes, which are able to almost double skin resistance to sunlight. But this is not all, in addition to tomatoes, necessarily members of pizza - cheese, olive oil, eggs, flour, mayonnaise, pepper and salta create a unique balance of substances that promotes absorption of ultraviolet rays. This gives almost sixfold protection against sunburn.

According to researchers, a standard pizza is capable of protecting skin in two weeks. Next, you need a new piece.

A complete meal or «fastfud»?

What architects do in Italy? They invent frms for pizza. Is this absurd? On the contrary! Rhythm of modern cities, constant lack of time and total absence of opportunities for waiting dishes in the restaurant forced Italian architect Rossano Boscolo on an idea of creating a pizza of conic form.

The most unusual pizza

It may seem strange, but Italy is not its homeland. It can be found on any kitchen and be compared with a work of art.  However, pizza «okonomiyaki» or Japanese pizza is considered the most unusual, its name in translation is read as «cook anything you like to eat». It is a Japanese miracle, a fried cake made of dough and seafood, greased with special sauce.

Dried tuna flakes add unusual accent to «okonomiyaki» pizza.

From standards to records

Like all popular, pizza, from time to time, becomes an object of attention of those, whose goal is to achieve unimaginable results. For example, only the year 1990 gave the world two «records», the first of which was baked in Singapore, with diameter of 34 meters. However, in a couple of months the world saw pizza with diameter of 37 meters. It was baked in South Africa, and for their construction they required 45,000 kg of flour, 18,000 kilograms of cheese and 90 kilograms of salt. Then we had a five-meters Neapolitan pizza in 2004. And pizza with length of 240 meters - in 2006, which was created by Italian bakers from the city of Pesaro. In the cooking process they had to dispense with usual forms, what did not affect traditional divine taste.

High-quality pizza. What is it?

Earliest culinary book of Mark Guy Apitsiy contains more than 500 recipes of ancient Rome. It also contained pizza recipes. Are there rules helping a consumer to choose pizza, which can be considered fresh and high-quality? Information placed on pizza packaging can tell a lot.

European standard for pizza transport or sale is a flat box with title and listing of ingredients, but pizza, packaged in food film and having following information should not cause doubts in you:

The date and terms of manufacturing.

Products contained in pizza can maintain natural freshness only for three months from the date of manufacture. In case when manufacturers offer longer shelf life, it is worth thinking about what you are offered - a pizza or preservatives;

Storage conditions.

You can identify them easily by pizza appearance. Frequent freezing and nonobservance of transportation rules affects product’s appearance;

Components of pizza, flavors and preservatives;

Energy value, content of fats, proteins, carbohydrates;

Information on location of manufacturer, indicating phone and address;

Bar-code containing information about country, which made the product, manufacturers and specific characteristics of the product;

Way of product’s preparation and freezing conditions.

In the case if package has all listed information, the product is considered to be good and trustworthy.