If you’re a fan of Italian cuisine, this discussion about the differences between pinsas and pizzas is probably nothing new to you.
If you’ve never heard of such a thing, we’ll explain: although they share some similarities, there are some elements that distinguish them, namely their origin, composition and, of course, their preparation:
- pinsas come from Ancient Rome and are considered to be the ancestors of modern pizza, while pizza first appeared in Naples in the 18th century;
- pizza dough uses three flours (wheat, rice and soy); pizza uses only wheat flour and is less hydrated;
- pinsas can take up to 72 hours to ferment, while pizza can take from a few hours to a day;
- pinsas are oval or more elongated; pizzas are usually round, sometimes square (depending on the style);
- and we have proven that pinsas are easier to digest, and less caloric; unlike pizzas, which are traditionally denser, although we have tasted highly digestible specimens
Tasting authentic Roman pinsa in Lisbon
We chose Ammazza, which means “wow!” in Italian, and that’s exactly how we felt when we took our first bite of the specialties they sent us to try.
With three stores in the city, this pizzeria is well capable of offering the best and tastiest Roman pizza we’ve ever tried, standing out for its lightness, crunchiness and ease of digestion, attributes not often recognized in traditional pizzas.
As the translation of its name suggests, the aim of this brand is to provide a surprising and memorable gastronomic experience.
And the owners believe that it is through their cooking process that they are able to achieve this goal, since these pins are made with a special dough, which consists of a mixture of flours and a slow fermentation of 48 hours, resulting in a very light and hypercaloric product : when compared to pizza, it contains less sugar (48%), fat (85%), carbohydrates (33%) and is cholesterol-free. If this isn’t music to your ears, we don’t know what is!
Our experience
Ammazza was kind enough to send us some of their best products, from starters to desserts, which we devoured in no time.
In good Italian fashion, we started with the antipasti: an Oliva e Aglio (€6.50), bread with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and fleur de sel; a Burrata al Pesto (€9.90), a comforting bowl made up of arugula, burrata and pesto sauce, accompanied by half a pinata with olive oil and fleur de sel.
Next, the pinsas (there are 18 varieties): We tried the Tartufata (€15.95), with truffle cream, fior de latte mozzarella, portobello mushroom, egg yolk, black pepper and black truffle shavings; Prosciutto e Fichi (€14.95), with mozzarella fior de latte, figs, prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, black pepper and basil; and Peperone Arrostiti (€14.45), with mozzarella fios de latte, roasted peppers, pencetta, grana padano and peperoncino crema.
They also sent us some dolci: Red Fruit Panna Cotta (€2.60), a Tiramissu (€2.90 ) and a Lisboetas (€2.50), an iced chocolate salami dipped in different types of chocolate, which was an incredible sweet surprise.
In short, it won’t be easy to go back to the old, traditional pizzas. After all, these pizzas are their “mothers”, made in a more ancestral way and with that twist that makes all the difference, making this Italian delicacy even lighter to eat.
Address: Avenida Infante Santo 66D; Avenida Conde Valbom 116B; Alameda Fernão Lopes 21D
Opening hours: every day
Menus: on the website