Is the Margherita you’ve popped into the oven for tonight genuine?

When the familiar roar of the pizza delivery guy’s  scooter can be heard approaching will he be delivering the real deal or have you ordered a heinous fake?

For more than 18 months now there have been a series of strict guidelines for the composition of a genuine Pizza Napoletana – and yes, that’s a Margherita to you and I.

After a five-year campaign by the Italian government which, in the grip if Europe’s escalating sovereign debt crises and numerous prime ministerial sex scandals obviously has its priorities straight, the Napoletana attained ‘traditional speciality status’.

Despite the best efforts of the Polish representative, who abstained, the EU agreed that only pizzas made the traditional way and with genuine regional ingredients could properly be labelled Napoletane.

So next time you call for takeaway pizza be sure to check the following:

The pizza must be no more than 35cm in diameter and must have a raised rim of 1cm-2cm. The toppings must be Italian tomato and basil as well as mozarella cheese from the South Apennine mountains. And of course it goes without saying that the dough must be hand-kneaded and made with Italian flour. None of that Ukrainian rubbish.

Try it next time you order. The chap on the other end of the phone is sure to be sympathetic!

Tina has a love affair with good Italian food, particularly pizza. Her blog lets her indulge in her obsession with all things pizza. Tina N.