Italian spice

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Mike in Japan

#167437 Thu, 08 Dec 05 12:58 AM

Could an Italian person answer this for me please? It's not a joke. I am seriously interested.

If you were making a pizza, but you could only use one spice, which would you use?
Also, which one spice goes best with a tomato sauce (in Italian cooking)?

My students and I were discussing this recently, but none of us is Italian.

Thanks a lot :-)

Mike

Mike in Japan

Joined on Tue, Aug 19 2003

Hazzard County, Japan

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nona the brit

#168013 Fri, 09 Dec 05 11:43 AM

I'm not Italian but I always think of Basil or Rosemary as being integral in Italian food.

nona the brit

Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004

England

Veteran Member (11,450)

The name says it all.

Francesca

#168023 Fri, 09 Dec 05 12:09 PM

The best spice in pizza is Origanum (Origanum vulgare); other names for it: "origan, oregano, wild marjoram"

If you cook "pizza margherita", that is pizza with tomato and "mozzarella" cheese, you can use fresh leaves of basil instead of origanum.

If you cook pasta or spaghetti with tomato, you must use fresh leaves of basil.

Rosemary isn't good for pizza, pasta or tomato sauce in general, but is really good for roast meat and roast potatoes!

Hope I helped you! Ciao Wink [;)]

Francesca

Joined on Tue, Oct 11 2005

Grand Duchy of Tuscany

Contributing Member (1,627)

Mike in Japan

#168025 Fri, 09 Dec 05 12:20 PM

Thanks Nona and Francesca Big Smile [:D]

I'm not Italian, but to me Oregano seems to give a very Italian flavour to tomato sauces. It seems I have been overlooking basil, but I'm glad to hear that oregano would be Francescas first choice for pizzas. Noone in class agreed with me on that; everyone said basil.
We often discuss foods of the world in class, and pizza is by far the most popular food to discuss. Maybe one of these days I will buy a pizza oven for the classroom. Then we can really enjoy classes!

Thanks, ladies Stick out tongue [:P]

(off to buy basil)

Mike in Japan

nona the brit

#168056 Fri, 09 Dec 05 01:36 PM

Oh yes, specifically pizza things, then origano. Also great with meat.

nona the brit

Anonymous

#177576 Sun, 01 Jan 06 04:24 PM

Dear Mike,

My name is Giulio,I leave near florence,in a little old hill where i have open since 1996 a bed&breakfast and where we organize cooking class, wine tour and spice aromatic tour.

In answer of your questions:

If you are making a pizza with only one spice dipending which pizza you are preparing!

If you are preparing a classic margherita the best is origano

If you are preparing a 4 stagioni the best is timo

For a tomato sauce the best spice is hot pepper

If you want to have more info you can visit me at www.lalimonaia.net

Anonymous

LanguageLover

#178633 Tue, 03 Jan 06 09:19 PM

I know the discussion is over Mike, but you'll probably have this discussion again, though in another class.

I just saw a cooking programme on BBC Food. The presenter, who was a chef, visited Italy to meet a great Italian chef in person and see how she prepared a margherita. She used fresh leaves of basil, as Francesca mentioned. Maybe it's a regional thing if some use oregano instead.

The interesting thing about the rest of the cooking was that after leaving the bread and tomato in the ovenfor about 15 minutes or so, she removed it and then added some extra fresh tomato and olive oil again, and after that she added mazerella slices and parmezan shreds and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Maybe you knew this trick all along, but I didn't! Enjoy your pizza!

LanguageLover

Joined on Fri, Feb 25 2005

A proud Iranian living in the UAE

Contributing Member (1,393)

The similarities among the languages are more than their differences!

Francesca

#178892 Wed, 04 Jan 06 12:12 PM

Well, last week I went in Pizzeria; my friend asked "a Pizza Margherita with much oregano". The waiter surpised answered: "Pizza Margherita is without oregano, only basil... so you want a pizza with oregano, no a pizza margherita"

I live in Tuscany like Giulio....maybe is only a matter of tastes! Anyway I prefer only basil...my mum cooked it with only oregano!!!

I knew that trick LanguageLover, but I add only mozzarella and let it cook 5 minutes again, no extra fresh tomato olive oil or parmezan Smile [:)]

Francesca

LanguageLover

#178956 Wed, 04 Jan 06 02:58 PM

Maybe not parmezan, I do not remember that well. But definitely a bit of tomato and a splash of olive oil. I think I'm going to have a pizza tonight, it is so irresistable to read a bout it and not to go! Big Smile [:D]

LanguageLover

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