Today is World Pizza Day: 2,7 billion pizzas are churned out every year in Italy

Nearly 2 in 65 Italians (13%) eat pizza at least once a week, but there is also a 2% who put it on their plate 4 to 121 times a week for lunch or for dinner, at home but also out thanks to a network of XNUMX thousand restaurants from north to south of Italy.

This is what emerges from the investigation Coldiretti/Ipsos on the occasion of World Italian PIZZA Day on January 17th Despite the multiplication of the offer, the Margherita remains the most widespread and appreciated.

Legend has it that in June 1889, to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy, chef Raffaele Esposito created the "Margherita pizza," topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, representing the colors of the Italian flag. Since then, it has been one of the most copied recipes in the world.

With a turnover rising to over 15 billion euros a year, pizza confirms its position as a Made in Italy treasure, and the backbone of an economic system that—according to Coldiretti—supports 100.000 full-time workers and another 100.000 weekend and part-time workers.

In Italy, 2,7 billion pizzas are baked every year, which in terms of ingredients means 200 million kilos of flour, 225 million kilos of mozzarella, 30 million kilos of olive oil, and 260 million kilos of tomato sauce.

While in the world - Coldiretti underlines - there is no peace for the real Made in Italy pizza with variations that have made 1 in 3 Italians (36%) tremble, who, while travelling abroad, have come across the most improbable versions and the most bizarre toppings, from pineapple to bananas, from those seasoned with kangaroo and zebra meat, or with snakes and crickets to the one spiced with tandoori chicken from Indian cuisine immersed in yogurt up to the one with cannabis.

Among Italians who were "burned" by pizza abroad, 14% - according to the Coldiretti/Ipsos survey - said they were very disappointed, while another 22% said they were quite dissatisfied.

According to the Coldiretti/Ipsos survey, 26% of respondents said they didn't trust pizza and had never eaten it abroad, but there were also 6% who were enthusiastic and 20% who quite liked it. Disappointment with pizza abroad stemmed from several factors: the dough was top of the list (52%), followed by the flavor (48%), and the type of ingredients used (36%), especially considering the unusual flavors found outside Italy.

But among the reasons for disappointment with pizza abroad - recalls the Coldiretti/Ipsos survey - there are also the unusual combination of ingredients (34%), incorrect cooking (30%), high cost (25%), preparation (24%) and poor digestibility (23%).

To combat deception, restaurants should disclose the provenance of ingredients, as requested by 92% of Italians according to the Coldiretti/Ipsos survey. This will prevent unknowingly serving dishes that use frozen Lithuanian mozzarella curds, Chinese tomato paste, Tunisian oil, and Canadian wheat flour.

"Guaranteeing the authenticity of the recipe and the art of preparation also means defending a dish that is an integral part of our culinary tradition, threatened worldwide by the spread of fake Made in Italy products, which have reached the astronomical figure of 120 billion euros, practically double our exports, taking away jobs and growth from Italy," continues Coldiretti President Ettore Prandini.