The mention of pizza and all you think about is a crispy crust covered with mouth-watering, rich tomato sauce and topped with meats spiced desirably and vegetables as per an individual’s wish along with generous sprinklings of mozzarella cheese. The spectacle of extra cheese, fried chicken pieces, pepperoni, sausage or ground beef on a pizza base would give many health pundits or weight watchers a fright. Nevertheless, millions relish it despite its junk food status. Now, Eugenio Luigi Iorio by inventing the anti-ageing pizza has given pizza lovers a new treat to indulge with little less guilt you could say.
Iorio, a nutritionist and biochemist at the University of Naples along with Cosimo Mogavero, owner of a restaurant called La Fabbrica dei Sapori (The Taste Factory) restaurant created the exceptional “anti-wrinkle” or “primula” pizza using smart variations to the usual pizza recipe. This remarkable pizza makes use of ingredients such as whole meal flour, tomatoes, rocket, garlic, courgettes, basil, mushrooms, carrots and spinach. All these together make the pizza a storehouse of anti-oxidants that are beneficial in slowing down ageing.
The replacement of refined flour with whole meal flour has been the prime reason for improved nutritional profile of this one of a kind pizza. It is said that the bran and endosperm in wheat contributes antioxidant compounds to the whole meal flour. With the right determination of fermentation and baking times as well as baking temperature, the anti-oxidant levels are enhanced. The selection of veggies for sauces and toppings is also done keeping in mind their individual anti-oxidant properties. This combination of veggies and dough results in a pizza that is three times higher in its fibre content than its classic counterpart and has higher levels of magnesium and iron to offer.
Now, everyone should be happy with such a pizza? However, this pizza has not gone down well with the members of the True Neapolitan Pizza Association, who allege that the use of whole meal flour does not give a characteristic crust that an authentic pizza should have. This is the reason why they are not in approval of this new anti-ageing pizza as they consider it an insult of the authentic pizza.
Now, what you want from a pizza is your choice- authenticity with little or no health benefits or trade-offs in authenticity with age defying benefits? Pick is yours!
