If it were not enough to taste the product just out of the oven to grasp the competence and professionalism of the protagonist of this article, we can cite his origins and his family background: are three generations of DOC Neapolitan pizza makers enough to describe Raffaele Tromiro? They should be enough, considering that Raffaele is the most renowned pizza entrepreneur in the canton of Zurich, where, in Meilen (on Zurich's “Goldküste”, that is the gold coast), he pulls out of the oven every day, including Sunday, a considerable quantity of pizzas for all lovers of Neapolitan pizza.
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The best compliment for Raffaele is to hear someone say “The pizza is better here than in Naples” but what is his secret? “We are the only ones in German-speaking Switzerland - explains the master pizza maker - to follow the production specification of true Neapolitan pizza according to the criteria of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. This certification guarantees that Neapolitan pizza is served, distinguishing it from the many existing varieties.” And, given the infinite offering, understanding its various peculiarities is no small matter. The choice of raw materials from the Campania region also becomes fundamental; they are worked in his premises according to the season and without forcing. In winter there is, for example, the Piennolo tomato from Vesuvius, which gives that aromatic flavour to the pizzas of Napulè. Also highly recommended is the variant with mortadella and Bronte pistachio and, of course, the classic and timeless salsiccia e friarielli.
Raffaele Tromiro is not only a representative of the Italian gastronomic tradition, but is also a volcano of ideas. He himself shows with pride the dedication to work combined with the Neapolitan imagination that can be sensed in the projects he has built over these years spent in Switzerland: the school first of all. So one takes to the lectern to teach how to become professional pizza makers in the bright premises of a nearby site, in the adjacent municipality of Erlenbach (on Zollerstrasse 12, CH-8703). On the ground floor we find the display of typical products - tomatoes, flours and dairy products coming directly from Campania - and flours ideal for making the doughs that would thrill any pizza lover, while on the upper floor we find the classroom and the ovens with the professional stations for the students. But the school does not want to be aimed only at those who want to learn a profession (increasingly in demand), but rather a workshop open also to the simple enthusiasts who enjoy making pizza at home. One learns to perfect the technique of the dough, to respect the leavening times and to use the right quantities of ingredients without overdoing it “as often happens”, because too much of a good thing spoils it. Even without a wood-fired oven, at home one learns to manage the heat of the oven one has available. “This type of mini-course of two or three hours - Raffaele continues - unfolds in three phases: it starts from a theoretical part, in which the characteristics of the flours and of the leavening are taught; it continues with a practical part, in which everyone prepares the dough and then bakes the pizza (the school provides an already leavened dough for obvious reasons of timing) and, finally, with the convivial part, in which the participants eat their own pizza at the end of the lesson. It is ideal for individuals, but also for groups of friends or colleagues (from work too) who want to share an interesting, instructive and fun occasion.” Raffaele offers everything needed for a professional or amateur pizza maker: from the flours to the mozzarelle, from the toppings to the datterino tomato passata, but also the ovens suitable for baking at high temperatures, which can be bought and used also for home production. Ultimately, it takes little to vary the usual barbecue among friends and to offer a dinner at home or in the garden. Enriching it, however, with gastronomic mastery of Neapolitan flavour.
A little curiosity: Raffaele is also very active in social work, indeed he gladly helps non-profit organisations and associations for people with disabilities, inviting them to take a pizza course. We accompanied him during one of his courses and we will soon publish photos and a report of a day dedicated to the less fortunate.
The Napulé pizzeria
Kirchgasse 59
8706 Meilen
Phone: 044 923 02 02
www.pizzerianapule.ch
Open every day 11.30 am - 2.00 pm and 6.00 pm - 11.00 pm
The pizza school
Pizza Fachschule
Zollerstrasse 12
8703 Erlenbach
Tel. 079 138 04 51
www.facebook.com/fimp.pizzafachschule.ch
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