World Pizza Championship facts for kids

The World Pizza Championship is an event held annually for three days in April since 1991 in Salsomaggiore Terme (Parma), Italy, although several other cities likewise claim to be the home of the ultimate international pizza games including Naples and Paris. Organized by Pizza E Pasta Italiana magazine, the 30^th edition of the competition (which was briefly paused in 2020 and 2021) was held from April 18-20, 2023. More than 700 chefs from 52 countries compete in 12 categories. The World Pizza Championship includes six categories in the baking competition, three categories in the pizza game competition, the pizza team award, the Heinz Beck trophy awarded to pizzeria chefs, and the triathlon award given for the highest average score in 3 separate categories. All culinary scores are figured from 800 as perfect, with each contestant rated by cooking prowess, sanitation, presentation, taste, and knowledge of the pizza. It is the largest pizza show in the world with over 6,500 independent chain and franchise owners from all around the world attending. The winners are inducted into their Hall of Fame and are sometimes invited back to judge the next World Pizza Championship.

Competition categories

Baking

• Classic Pizza is the category that offers greater freedom to the pizza-maker as for dough and toppings. Round pizza served on a dish encloses all recipes starting from the most traditional to gourmand.
• Gluten Free Pizza is described as a lack that cannot be guessed. Research has gone so far that the difference of taste with regular pizzas cannot be detected.
• Pan Pizza is the category with long leavening pizza, mostly used in bakery shops, which is recently witnessing popularity.
• Neapolitan STG Pizza is the queen of tradition. Only Margherita or Marinara, prepared according to a strict discipline determined by the Forest and Agriculture Ministry. It is “pizza” in the collective imagination.
• Roman Pizza (pizza to the square) is the category reserved for the famous crunchy pizza with the typical long-shaped, to be shoveled only on a wooden pizza peel.
• Pizza a Due is a unique competition including a chef and pizza-maker team working in-tandem to make a unique pizza.

Games

• The Largest Pizza tests the skill of pizza-makers to enlarge 500 grams of dough in order to show the world how big a pizza can get.
• Freestyle Pizza is a spectacular acrobatic show using dough pizza disks to music rhythm.
• The Fastest Speed tests the skill of enlarging 5 disks of dough as fast as possible.

Special Categories

• World Pizza Team is made up by 6 team members, each for every baking category. Winning together will be even more satisfying!
• Heinz Beck Trophy Pizzeria is a unique competition designed by the famous Michelin starred chef Heinz Beck, it judges the preparation of a main course by the chef of a pizzeria on quality and craftsmanship.
• Triathlon includes three single baking categories: “Classic Pizza”, “Pan Pizza”, “STG Neapolitan Pizza” and “Gluten free pizza”. The winner with the best overall score will be granted the Triathlon podium.

Previous Winners

Winners from 2023

Classic Pizza - Criminisi Giuseppe

Neapolitan STG Pizza - Mansi Vincenzo

Pan Pizza - Valentino Clemente

Roman Pizza - Di Tella Antonio

Gluten free Pizza - Vassallo Domenico

Freestyle - Tolu Botella Francis

The Largest - Pasini Daniele

The Fastest - Bandinelli Andrea

Triathlon - Di Tella Antonio

Heinz Beck Trophy - Caliolo Alessandro

World Pizza Team - Di Stasio Raffaele - Tolu Cristian - Pizza a due

News and noteworthy

In 2016, French chef Ludovic Bicchierai, won the Pizza Classica competition with his pizza topping inspired by the traditional bouillabaisse fish soup which involves sea bream carpaccio, mozzarella, prawns, Tabasco sauce and courgetti flowers.

In 2019, chef Filippo Rosato, from the UK pizzeria, Purezza, won the Pizza Classica category with a vegan pie. His creation was made using IPA-infused wholegrain dough topped with stir-fried cavolo nero, Italian-style marinated tempeh, pioppini mushrooms, a borlotti bean sauce, a vegan mozzarella, and a fermented cashew cheese with sundried cruschi peppers. The creation was finished with a garnish of ginger purée, agave syrup, and vegan caviar.

Notable repeat winners include Tony Gemignani who holds 13 world championship titles, seven for acrobatics and six for baking. He also holds several pizza-related Guinness World Records and has opened more than 40 pizzerias across the United States.

See also

In Spanish: World Pizza Championship para niños

• Tony Gemignani