Chapter 1: What is the purpose of this episode?
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Chapter 2: Why is Naples significant for pizza?
Hey friends, welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. As always, I'm your host, Thomas. This evening, we're traveling to Naples, or Napoli, in southern Italy. This vibrant city is the birthplace of one of the most popular dishes in the world, pizza.
As you relax in a traditional pizzeria, you'll learn all about the history of the pizza and appreciate what makes it so special. Thank you to Alexandra for writing this one, which I had the pleasure of recording for you. If you're enjoying the show and you get a lot of value from it, we'd love if you'd consider supporting us.
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To find out about all the perks of being a Get Sleepy Premium member, just follow the link in the episode description. Thank you so much, my friends. Okay, let's prepare ourselves for a good night's rest. It means such a lot to be able to speak to you tonight and anytime you listen.
And I want you to keep in mind that you are one of many thousands of people that listen to this show to accompany their nightly routines. We are a collection of wonderful people, spread all over the world with all sorts of different experiences and circumstances in life, and with varying opinions, perspectives and beliefs.
But we are all gathered here with a common goal in mind, a good night's rest. In fact, if you think about it, the desire and need for sleep is one of the most prominent things that we unquestionably all have in common. And sleep is best enjoyed with a sense of softness and reassurance. Negative feelings like anger, worry, fear, stress, none of them are conducive to good rest.
So let's all collectively put any negativity to one side. Let's accept that in this moment, we are all connected. We are all hopeful and deserving of a good night's rest. So, I send wishes of peace, comfort, and nourishing rest to each and every one of you.
And perhaps you'd like to do the same thing, just mindfully sending out peaceful, comforting wishes to all of those joining you here at this time. And equally, I hope you can sense that collective calmness and reassurance coming back to you Thank you again for being here, my friends.
And now, let's enjoy this delightful story together, where you have full permission to drift off to sleep whenever you are ready. It's time to travel to Italy, to the coastal city of Naples, where our story begins. It's a lovely warm evening in Naples, or Napoli in Italian. As you meander through the streets, you breathe in the ever-present aromas of cooking and fried food.
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Chapter 3: What makes Neapolitan pizza unique?
You can have the marinara, with tomato, garlic, and oregano. Or the margarita, with tomato and mozzarella cheese. In Naples, many people believe that the simplest pizzas are the best. There's no need for extra toppings when the basic ingredients are of the highest quality. While you wait to order, you look around the restaurant. The decor is practical, white walls and minimal decoration.
The lighting is bright, and the wooden tables are positioned close together. It feels cozy and unpretentious, and there's a welcoming, almost familial atmosphere. Many of the diners are locals, and they chat and joke with the waiters. Glancing at the wall near your table, you notice an ornament hanging from a hook. It's a red twisted horn.
You've seen this shape all over Naples, in shops and market stalls, and dangling from rearview mirrors. Known as a cornicella, this little horn is a traditional good luck charm with an ancient history. Because of its shape, it's associated with Priapus, the Greek god of fertility. The horns were traditionally made of coral.
Today, they're usually made of metal and painted red, the color of blood, and so, the color of life. For centuries, people have used this charm as a protection. But in order for it to work, you have to receive it as a gift. It's not something you buy for yourself. The horn on the wall looks very old, and you wonder about its origins.
Perhaps it was a present for the owner of the pizzeria when the restaurant first opened decades ago. The waiter returns to take your order. One marinara and one margarita. That way, you and your friend can have half and half. Turning around, you have a view of part of the kitchen, where three men are hard at work.
The restaurant is busy tonight, but luckily making a pizza doesn't take long, and the staff here are efficient and clearly very skilled. You watch the young man closest to you. His hands move rapidly, rolling out the dough, spreading the tomato sauce, and arranging the bright green basil leaves on top.
Then he scatters small pieces of mozzarella, and as a finishing touch, he adds a swirl of golden olive oil. It's hypnotic to watch. For the final stage, the pizza will go in the wood-fired oven nearby. From where you're sitting, you can just about see the crackling flames. You remember reading that pizza-making in Naples has been recognized by UNESCO.
It's on a list representing the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. While you wait, you and your friend start to skim through the book you've brought with you. It includes a chapter on the history of pizza in Naples. Perhaps some extra knowledge will help you to appreciate your meal even more.
Though, judging by what you've seen and smelled so far, you are guaranteed to have an unforgettable dinner no matter what. With the book spread open in the middle of the table, you begin to read. Pizza has been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years, depending on how you define it. Flatbreads with added ingredients have existed since the Neolithic age, more than 5,000 years ago.
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Chapter 4: What is the history of pizza?
Tell me, says the journalist, is the margarita the one with the egg in the middle? No, says the pizza maker. The margarita that I've always known has mozzarella, tomato, and basil. A pizza with egg exists, but it's not called the margarita anymore. So, the margarita seems to be both old and relatively modern. To sum up, a pizza with those ingredients has existed for around 200 years.
However, it wasn't until some time in the mid-20th century that it came to be commonly known as the margarita. Finally, there's the question of the name. If it's not a tribute to the Queen, where does the name Margarita come from? According to one theory, it could be a reference to the mozzarella. Spread out on the pizza, the white slices of cheese look a bit like the petals of a daisy.
And the Italian word for daisy is margherita. This theory works even if the pizza was originally made with egg. White pieces of egg could also resemble daisy petals. But of course, people enjoying their first bite of a delicious cheese and tomato pizza probably didn't pay much attention to the name. The margarita tasted wonderful. That was all that really mattered.
Pizzerias started to pop up all across Italy and beyond. Some of the Italians who immigrated to the United States brought their pizza recipes with them. The first American pizzeria opened in New York City in 1905, in Little Italy.
The original pies were inspired by the Neapolitan style of pizza, while the first American pizzerias were generally small businesses serving working-class communities of Italian immigrants. But as pizza became more popular, entrepreneurs saw an opportunity. chains opened up, starting with Pizza Hut in Kansas in 1958.
This was a new kind of pizza, cheap and satisfying fast food with a focus on efficiency rather than craft. In Naples, however, there hasn't been much appetite for change. Pizza has essentially stayed the same for decades, so you're unlikely to find one with a pineapple topping. In fact, there are strict rules for making authentic Neapolitan pizza.
Pizza makers are keen to preserve their traditions and maintain the high quality, protecting the reputation of their craft. A proper Neapolitan pizza should be round and soft with a raised crust. The dough, made with yeast, flour, salt and water, must be prepared carefully to ensure the right taste and consistency. The other ingredients should be fresh and high quality.
Pizzas are usually made with locally produced buffalo mozzarella or fiordilatte, a delicate cheese made from cow's milk. The final step is cooking. a maximum of 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at a temperature of around 450 degrees Celsius or 840 Fahrenheit.
It may sound fairly simple, but knowing how to make an authentic Neapolitan pizza requires countless hours of practice, as well as skill and dedication. And when you take your first bite of a fresh margarita, hot from the oven, you'll understand It's no wonder Naples is so proud of its pizza. Not only is it the original, it's absolutely delicious. The chapter ends here.
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Chapter 5: How has pizza evolved over the centuries?
Although you're keen to dig in, you take a moment to pause, savoring the sight and smell of the food in front of you. One pizza is a marinara with a rich red tomato sauce, a generous sprinkling of oregano, and a couple of cloves of garlic at the center. The surface gleams with golden olive oil. The other is the famous Margherita, with soft mozzarella cheese melting into the tomato base.
A few fresh green leaves of basil have been sprinkled on top. Both pizzas are so large that they almost spill over the edge of the plate. The crust looks thick and spongy, and has a few dark specks where it's been slightly burnt in the oven. Breathing in, you notice the warm, almost smoky scent, as well as the mouth-watering aromas of garlic, cheese, and tomato. The smell makes you even hungrier.
At last, it's time to eat. You and your friend choose a pizza to start with. If you like, you can swap plates later. For now, you cut a slice of your chosen pizza and take your first bite. You knew it would be good, but you didn't know it would be this good. Sometimes, you reflect, food made with just a few simple ingredients is truly the best.
The tomato sauce is so full of flavor, while the warm dough has the perfect consistency. It's wonderfully soft and chewy. You can taste the olive oil, too, adding just the slight hint of bitterness and complementing the other flavors. In this moment, you're aware of nothing but the food in front of you. Later this evening, perhaps you and your friend will continue your exploration of Naples.
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Chapter 6: What are traditional Neapolitan pizza ingredients?
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