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World first as woman wins pizza contest

A 42-year-old Italian from Naples has become the first woman to win the world pizza making championships.

World first as woman wins pizza contest
A 42-year-old woman has won the world pizza making contest in Naples. Photo: Matt Harris/Flickr

Teresa Iorio scooped the coveted Caputo trophy on Thursday, awarded to the best pizza made in traditional Naplolitan style, Ansa news reported.

“I'm so happy,” said a tearful Iorio as she picked up her award. “I'd like to dedicate this to my mother and my father who taught me the art of pizza making. Whenever I roll out a pizza base I think of my dad,” she told reporters.

Iorio had extra cause to celebrate, being the first female to win the award in the competition's 14 year history.

“I thought it was impossible. I want to share my award with pizza making women everywhere.” Iorio said.

The master pizza maker comes from a family of pizza making women and heads up the pizzeria Le Figle di Loro in Naples, with an all female staff that includes her two sisters and niece.

The world pizza making championships celebrate the complex craft of pizza making and attracted 500 pizza chefs from all over the world to Napoli Pizza Village this year.

At Napoli Pizza Village, the chefs competed in a number of different categories, including gluten-free pizza, pan pizza and even free style pizza before their creations were judged by an expert jury comprising Michelin-starred chefs.
 

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FOOD AND DRINK

Do Italians really eat pasta every day?

Pasta is the foundation of Italian cuisine and Italians have a reputation for eating it nearly every day. But is this reality or myth?

Do Italians really eat pasta every day?

Pasta is the cornerstone of Italian cuisine and an essential staple of Italians’ diet, hence the popularity of the adage Toglietemi tutto ma non la pasta! (‘Take everything away from me except pasta’).

But there is a widespread belief among foreign nationals that people in the bel paese eat it every single day of the week. 

Is this reality or myth?

According to a survey from research platform YouGov Italia, ‘only’ 17 percent of Italians eat pasta every day or at least six days a week. 

The majority of Italians (37 percent) consume pasta two to three times a week, while 30 percent say they eat it four to five times a week. 

Finally, 8 percent eat pasta just once a week.

While the survey seems to disprove the claim that Italians generally eat pasta every day (only a minority does), does that mean that they are not as big pasta eaters as we may have originally thought?

Not really. 

Italians are still the leading pasta consumers in the world as the average person in the country eats some 23.1 kilograms of it every year (that’s nearly two kilograms a month).

READ ALSO: Ask an Italian: How do you sauce pasta properly?

For context, people in neighbouring France and Germany only consume 8.3 and 7.9 kg per capita a year, whereas the average American eats about 9 kg every year.

Further, yearly per capita consumption in the UK stands at an average of just 3.5 kg, according to a report from pasta maker Barilla.

So, while they may not have it every day, Italians do eat quite a lot of pasta over the course of a year. 

But how do they never get tired of it? 

One of the main reasons behind Italians’ unbreakable bond with the high-carb food is variety. 

Italians are extremely creative when it comes to pasta and they rarely eat the same dish twice in a row as they like to experiment with a wide range of recipes and sauces.

READ ALSO: Ten golden rules for cooking pasta like an Italian

Further, there are over 350 types of pasta in Italy, which means that you could potentially eat a different pasta shape almost every day of the year.

Another reason why most Italians have pasta multiple times a week is that they tend to eat it in moderation, steering well clear of potential carb overloads. 

While they may have a large, high-calorie pasta dish (for instance, lasagne or pasta al ragù) on weekends or on special occasions, people in the country generally go for lighter recipes and sauces on normal days, with portions generally going from 80 to 120 grams per person.

Also, Italians very rarely eat pasta twice a day, with the majority of people having it for lunch and then opting for a non-carb-based dish in the evening.

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