Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe ROME, May 27 (UPI) -- The real home of pizza has endured knock-offs long enough: Italy's government has decreed what is -- and what is not -- authentic pizza. Rome's Official Gazette, similar to the U.S. Federal Register, announced that true pizza must be made with a thin crust, fresh plum or cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, the Times of London reported Thursday. Advertisement Acceptable toppings are restricted to basil, oregano, garlic and olive oil, all dough must be hand-rolled and only wood-fired ovens are allowed. Period. End of discussion. Pizza was invented in 1889 in honor of a visit to Naples by Queen Margherita, wife of King Umberto I. Its ingredients were chosen to echo the red, white and green of the Italian tricolor. The initiative was applauded by Neapolitan pizza chefs, including Ciro Moffa who brought "real pizza" to Rome. "A pizza should bring you the soft warmth of Naples, the sounds of the streets, the aromas and textures of herbs, tomatoes and mozzarella," insisted Moffa. He said imitations are "a travesty. Enough is enough." Government inspectors will now award seals of authenticity to compliant pizzerias.
