Pizza Day: Learn How This Typical Italian Umami Dish Arrived in Brazil

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To celebrate the date hands-on, the Umami Committee has prepared a margherita pizza recipe for you to make with family and friends.

São Paulo, July 2022 – National Pizza Day is coming! As one of the most popular dishes consumed in Brazil, pizza earned a special place on the calendar — celebrated on July 10. According to data from the São Paulo United Pizzerias Association (2022), Brazil has approximately 112,000 active pizzerias. In 2008, there were about 11,000. Can you imagine?!

But do you know how pizza made its way here?

Pizza arrived in Brazil with Italian immigrants in the 19th century. It quickly became popular nationwide, and its toppings were adapted, opening up a world of flavor possibilities for consumers. In fact, in 1985, a contest was held in São Paulo to select the city’s ten best mozzarella and margherita pizzas.

With the taste of pizza well-established on the Brazilian palate, what not everyone knows is that the umami taste — the fifth basic taste of the human palate, alongside sweet, salty, bitter, and sour — is present in every bite.

Discovered by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908, umami (“delicious” in Japanese) is responsible for increasing salivation and prolonging flavor. The tomato sauce and cheeses used in most pizza recipes are rich in glutamate, the amino acid that provides the fifth taste, making pizza even more delicious.

There are many variations of this Italian dish — such as tuna, mushrooms, four-cheese, sun-dried tomato, or corn with catupiry — all featuring umami-rich ingredients.

To celebrate National Pizza Day, the Umami Committee has prepared a margherita pizza recipe! Check out the step-by-step guide to preparing the dough and topping below:

Ingredients

• 3 cups (tea) all-purpose flour (330 g)
• 1 cup (tea) milk (200 ml)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cube fresh yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (AJI-NO-MOTO®)
• 1 cup (tea) tomato purée (200 ml)
• 600 g sliced mozzarella cheese
• 2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced (260 g)
• 20 basil leaves
  

Directions

1. Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, place the milk, oil, flour, and yeast. Season with salt and monosodium glutamate (AJI-NO-MOTO®).
2. Knead by hand until smooth. Shape into two balls and let rest for 5 minutes. On a clean, floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into two 28 cm (11 in) disks.
3. Transfer to two round baking pans (28 cm in diameter) and pre-bake in a preheated medium oven (180°C) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
4. Spread tomato purée over the dough, top with mozzarella slices, and decorate with tomato slices and basil leaves.
5. Return to the oven (180°C) for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Remove and serve immediately.
   

Tips:

1. When pre-baking the pizza crusts, do not let them brown; this prevents the crust from becoming too hard after baking.

2. If you wish, freeze one of the pizzas for another day. To do this, allow one pre-baked crust to cool completely, top it with tomato purée, mozzarella, and tomato slices, then wrap it in plastic wrap inside the pan (or on a food-safe cardboard base to keep it flat). Freeze for up to 2 months.
   To reheat, remove the plastic wrap, place the pizza on a baking pan (if using a cardboard base), and bake in a preheated medium oven (180°C) for about 25 minutes, or until hot and the cheese melts. Decorate with basil leaves and serve immediately.

UMAMI
It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when University of Miami researchers identified specific receptors for this taste on taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and the lingering taste that remains for several minutes after eating. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.