'People in India love cheese, toppings on their pizza'

Indians love cheese and toppings on their pizza and they are more inclined towards better quality than pricing, says chef and World Champion in Acrobatic Pizza, Renato Viola.

“Pizza is a global favourite. However, experimentation with pizza has been limited in many places. In India, I've noticed that people like a lot of cheese and toppings on their pizza and more recently I've seen people appreciate the better quality of pizza rather than focus on price, which is a good step,” Viola, a consultant for 1441 Pizzeria said.

The Italian chef, who visited India last month, says not all pizzas are unhealthy.

Pizzas which are thick and made with sugars and preservatives qualify as unhealthy.

“The pizza that I make is very healthy. We focus on the best flour which makes the pizza dough very light. They are also high in protein and have lower carbohydrate content than other pizzas. For the diet conscious, I would suggest just a touch of cheese, as that gives the highest calorie content,” he added.

And if you had only Indian ingredients to make a pizza, what would your recipe be?

“The ingredients in India are amazing. You cannot find ingredients this fresh and pure in the US. It reminds me of Italy. I usually just love the taste of the dough and sauce. The Krish's pizza at 1441 is a perfect example of an Indianised pizza.

“Made with our special Mama's sauce, and garnished with shredded Mozzarella and smoked Mozzarella for a perfect combination, Jalapenos, caramelized onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and basil,” he said.

Viola is one of the best master pizza chefs in the world. He is also a member of the Italian Acrobatic Pizza team which has won various awards in pizza making competitions in Italy and all across the world in places like Monte Carlo, Paris, Las Vegas, Miami, London, Rome, Naples, Stuttgart, Dublin, Edinburgh and Milan.