Fainá, a crunchy, thin, bread made from chickpea flour is a hugely popular accompaniment to pizza in Uruguay and Argentina. Fainá is served in slices alongside pizza and is made to be set on top of the pizza as a crunchy top layer. That’s right – it’s a chickpea wafer … More
Competition Heats Up in the Eastern Bloc
Pizza Competitions for Everyone Kazan, Russia “Pizza competitions should be free and open to everyone,” says Arkadiy Gritsevskiy, president of the Russian Freestyle Pizza Federation and multi-restaurant owner. Gritsevskiy organized the first pizza competition at the Kazan HoReCa show this year based on this altruistic philosophy. Sponsors and government … More
Italian certified ingredients dominate the conversation at World Pizza Forum
The hot topic at this year’s Pizza World Forum, held as part of the World Pizza Championship in Parma, was the “made in Italy” phenomenon. The forum, which was reserved for select members of the press, featured Michelin star chefs, pizza entrepreneurs and design experts holding forth on a … More
U.S. Pizza Team's Michael LaMarca Wins Gold At Chinese Pizza Championship
BY DANIEL LEE PEREA Michael LaMarca, the CEO of Northern Ohio’s Master Pizza franchise, and captain of the United States Pizza Team competed for the third straight year in the Chinese Pizza Championship. The third time proved to be the charm, as LaMarca took home a first place … More
How to turn pasta-making into a crowd-pleasing exhibition
Melbourne, Australia Customers love to see a pie fly in the air, but how can you give them a similar kick when preparing their pasta? That’s Amore Cheese in Melbourne found just the right way to impress pasta lovers—by putting on a show with a popular made-to-order entrée. The … More
Can you get authentic New York-style pizza in Pakistan? Check out this guy living in his folks’ basement.
When Omar Qadir went to New York for medical treatment in 2012, he didn’t know that pizza would change his life forever. Today, five years after Qadir’s first taste of New York pizza, he has amassed a wealth of knowledge and launched his own pizzeria out of his basement … More
A new machine in Sweden helps pizzeria owners reduce food waste by turning old pizza dough into compost
Stockholm, Sweden Turning Old Dough Into Fresh Compost The Green Box from Agrenco is a new machine designed to reduce the amount of restaurant waste going into landfills. At the end of each night, any remaining food in the restaurant can be tossed into the Green Box with a mix of … More
This “green” UK restaurant turns wonky vegetables into gourmet fare
London, England Tackling Food Waste, One Wonky Vegetable at a Time After a successful 12-week test run in Notting Hill, the United Kingdom’s first zero-waste, organic, vegetarian franchise has popped up again at the chic Mercato Metropolitano, a street food center in London. The restaurant, called Tiny Leaf, partners … More
How to compete in the World Pizza Championship (Hint: Keep the heat off the meat!)
As the U.S. Pizza Team heads to Italy for the World Pizza Championship in May, it is certain some food faux pas will be made. I interviewed several Italians from different regions to shed light on food norms to which Americans should be privy when competing (or eating) in … More
Scrocchiarella, the first pizzeria named after an Italian flour mix, opens in Moscow
Moscow Scrocchiarella, a Pizza Restaurant Based On a Flour Mix, Opens in Russia Two Russian families opened a Moscow pizzeria last year that takes its name from a brand of flour mix called Scrocchiarella, which is derived from scrocchiare, the Italian word for “crunch.” Italmill developed the special … More
Italy’s father of pizza art meets … the Terminator?
Bari, Italy The Father of Pizza Art Meets the Governor Known as “the father of pizza art in Italy,” pizzaiolo Marco Fumai leveraged his skills to fulfill his dream of meeting his childhood idol, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in November. “Along with all my creations of pizza art honoring the … More
How food giant Tyson uses sex to sell chicken in China
Shanghai, China Sex Sells: Tyson Shows Skin to Chinese Consumers Tyson in China is using sex appeal to sell more chicken with a marketing campaign featuring Chinese actor, singer, model and overall heartthrob Huang Xiao Ming. The website BrandinginChina.com says the sex-sells approach to advertising is thriving in the country, which … More