Neapolitans like to say genuine pizza can't be duplicated outside of Naples. After all, the water is different, the air, yeast, flour, cheese and tomatoes are all different. But we can't all fly to Naples to indulge in the real thing, so we opt for our favorite varieties wherever in the world we can find them. Some believe pizza stones or quarry tiles used to distribute heat evenly take away from the flavor of pizzas, but as far as we can tell, that's just another bias, not a fact. One thing all sfinciuni have in common are substantial fillings and toppings.
Some food historians believe it was sfinciune that inspired the Chicago deep-dish pizza.
Some would say piadina aren't true pizzas. It's true that they are savory flatbreads often eaten like sandwiches as snacks, starters and light meals, but they are very close to pizza. They are rustic and simple and in Emilia-Romagna, piadina are especially popular with the beach resort crowd. At lunchtime, they're sold from little striped canvas tents at strategic corners. Both lineups and conversation are long-winded.