Postcards from Rome: There Are TWO Kinds of Pizza

Posted by Angela Nickerson on May 29, 2008
Filed under: Dispatches, Rome

Editor's note: Angela Nickerson is an avid travel writer kind enough to stop by every day this week to share her unique perspective for our series, Postcards from Rome.

Like what you see? Subscribe to the full RSS feed.

Pizza-cut-with-scissors and “real” pizza.

Pizza-cut-with-scissors – and yes, they do cut it with scissors – is the fast food pizza in Italy. It is pre-made. You tell the guy at the counter how much you want, and it is sold by weight. Once they have cut the right size piece for you, they throw it back into the oven or toaster to warm it up. Most places that serve pizza-cut-with-scissors do not have much in the way of a place to sit – perhaps a counter with a few stools or a few small tables. The pizza crust is generally thicker, and there are usually several kinds from which to choose.

Outdoor Cafe in Rome
Cafe for Real Pizza © Angela Nickerson

“Real pizza” is made fresh at a restaurant. It is light and crispy with much less bread. But it costs about twice as much as pizza-cut-with-scissors. However, the ingredients tend to be better. My personal favorite: Quattro formaggio (four cheese) pizza which is generally made with parmigiano reggiano, gorgonzola, mozzarella, and pecorino romano.

Man eating panini on the street in Rome
Eating a Panini on the Street © Angela Nickerson

Most pizzerias and many of the pizza-cut-with-scissors variety also serve a selection of fried temptations which are worth trying. Suppli are small balls of rice stuffed with mozzarella and sometimes sausages. You may also encounter olives stuffed with meat, potato croquettes, mushroom caps stuffed with sausage, or zucchini flowers stuffed with proscuitto and mozzarella – all battered or breaded and deep fried. Buon Appetito!

Roman Rule of the Day

While it may be tempting to sit down for lunch after a busy morning, stopping for a quick slice of pizza-cut-with-scissors or a panino will serve you better all day. Many Americans find Italian table service to be slow – an intentional pace in a country that truly relishes its cuisine. Remember, that Italians eat dinner very late, and many restaurants don’t open until 8 pm. Save your large meal for the evening when you have time to linger.

If you liked this post, subscribe to our full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by email and have new posts delivered directly to your inbox daily.



Angela K. Nickerson is a freelance writer and tour escort. Her first book, A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome (Roaring Forties Press, 2008) combines her great passions -- travel, art, history, and Italy – in one volume. She can be reached through her website: www.aknickerson.net or her blog: Just Go!.



Like This Post? You Might Also Like:

Our Sponsors

Comments

Brooke
August 28th, 2008 - 1:13 pm

What about Spizzico? I loved that place when I studied abroad… definite fast food pizza. But, I don’t remember… do they cut their huge slices of pizza with scissors? ;-)