Pizza Euphoria in Chiang Mai

ภาษาไทย

Pizza euphoria has reached Chiang Mai. Unthinkable only a few years ago in a land where Thai food is sacred and people are hesitant to venture into foreign flavors, this ultimate ‘farang’ food can now be found on the menus of a substantial number of restaurants and increasingly on the dinner tables of Thai youth and families.

Pizza has come a long way from its origins in Naples, Italy, where it was a staple food for the poor, to becoming what may be the world’s greatest export product. The dish was first made popular in America by Italian immigrants in the early 20th century, after which it did not take long for it to find its way to other countries worldwide, turning into a truly international food.

While the basic design of pizza is usually the same around the world, consisting of the typical flat round bread, covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, the flavor and consistency of pizza can vary quite significantly. While the different toppings determine the main flavor of the pizza, it is the tomato sauce and the pizza bread that make the difference between a mediocre pizza and a truly delicious one. It is no wonder then that chefs usually keep the recipe of the tomato sauce a closely guarded secret. As to the pizza bread, there are many variations ranging from the original Italian-style thin crust to the American-style thick crust such as the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. While the thickness of the bread is largely a matter of personal preferences, it is the right balance of crispiness and softness that makes a great pizza. For this to accomplish it takes not only years of experience in pizza baking but also the right oven. The original Neapolitan pizza is always baked in a wood-fired oven, but for reasons of practicality gas ovens are most commonly used in Chiang Mai.

The variety of different styles of pizza in Chiang Mai is quite remarkable and their quality usually falls nothing short of what is available in the West. Find below a selection of pizzas as offered at leading eateries throughout the city.

Pepperoni Pizza
by The Duke's
Pepperoni, Pepperoni, Mozzarella Cheese and Tomato Sauce.

Note: The Duke's only uses imported cheese, ripe canned tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil for the preparation of pizza.