Not only was it amazing pizza, but I was so tired from walking and the jetlag that it just hit the spot! It tasted so fresh, which it had to have been fresh because they were made to order, but it wasn't too hot at the same time! I ate half the pizza while it was hot and the other half after I'd walked around the city for about 20 minutes, and surprisingly, it tasted even better when it was cold, too.
In the restaurant, I watched the chef flatten out the dough with her palms. Then she scooped the tomato sauce, straight from the can, and smoothed it out with a large flat spoon. Then she topped it with mozzerella, prosciutto, mushrooms, and fresh basil. She then put it into a large furnace with a fire to bake. It only took about seven minutes before it was ready!
Although pizza is originally native to Naples, Italy, both prosciutto and mushrooms are locally connected to Tuscany (the region where Florence is located). Tuscany has a long tradition of pork curing, and the hills and seasonal air circulation around Florence make it ideal for curing meats. Also, the forests around Florence and greater Tuscany (Apennines, Casentino, Mugello) are rich in wild mushrooms. While pizza usually uses cultivated mushrooms, the flavor pairing reflects a forest-based food tradition rooted in the local ecology.
