Roman pizza facts for kids
Roman pizza (in Italian: pizza romana) is a special kind of pizza that first came from Rome, Italy. Today, you can find it all over Italy, especially in the central parts.
There are two main types of pizza that people call "Roman pizza" in Italy. They are quite different from each other!
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What Makes Roman Pizza Special?
Unlike Neapolitan pizza, which is famous worldwide and has special protection from the European Union and UNESCO, Roman pizza doesn't have the same official rules. This means there isn't one single, official way to define it.
Two Kinds of Roman Pizza
Let's look at the two main styles you might find:
Pizza by the Slice: Pizza al Taglio
- This type of Roman pizza is often sold in rectangular pieces.
- It usually has a thicker base, a bit like a focaccia bread.
- People often buy pizza al taglio to eat on the go or as a quick takeaway meal. It's a very casual snack.
Thin-Crust Round Pizza: Pizza Tonda
- This is a whole, round pizza with a very thin base.
- Most restaurants in Rome that serve pizza offer this style. It's actually the most common type of pizza you'll find in restaurants across many parts of Italy.
- Sometimes, people call it pizza bassa (which means "low pizza") to tell it apart from pizza alta ("high pizza"), which is the thicker Neapolitan style.
The Secret to Roman Pizza's Crispiness
One big difference in how the dough is made for the thin-crust Roman pizza is that it includes oil. This oil helps make the crust super crispy! People in Rome have a special word for this crispiness: "scrocchiarella." It's a fun word from the Romanesco dialect that sounds like the crunch you hear when you bite into it.
However, the name for this thin-crust pizza can change depending on where you are in Italy. In some places, it might just be called pizza bassa and not "Roman pizza."
