TOKYO, March 8 — A Japanese milling company has developed domestically-produced wheat flour used to make pizza napoletana, commonly known outside Italy as a pizza margherita.
Ebetsu flour milling Co. is now seeking certification for its new product from an Italian organization to be considered as flour for authentic pizza napoletana.
“We want to contribute for expanding use of domestically produced wheat,” said Ebetsu President Toshiyuki Abiko. “Just knowing that we’re part of it makes us proud.”
Japan is one of the largest wheat importing countries, and domestic production only accounts for about 10 percent of its total what supply.
Pizza napoletana was given the protected status of a traditional specialty guaranteed (TSG) by the EU in 2004. The TSG label specifies the types of flour, tomatoes and mozzarella used in a true pizza margherita.