Neapolitan, classic, crispy, tender, with a generous topping or simpler... Everyone has their own tastes when it comes to
pizza
. But the professionals who are preparing to participate in the world championships in Parma (Italy) have no room for error or approximation.
To discover
TV tonight: our selection of the day
This is what the documentary series
Passion Pizza
, broadcast on the France.tv platform from April 3, invites us to discover. These four 26-minute episodes follow the story and preparation of six French people determined to win the prestigious title and take us behind the scenes of this international competition. It brings together between 400 and 500 pizza makers and is divided into three distinct categories of pizzas: Neapolitan, classic or freestyle, also known as acrobatic and therefore more unusual.
Classic or freestyle?
The French participants, whose journey we follow, all have different stories and levels. Laura, 19, already champion in Rome in 2022, is trying her luck for the first time in Parma. She will compete against her father in the classic category and they have chosen to make the same pizza! A challenge that amuses them. Maxime is 26 years old and also won the Roman competition in the freestyle category. Its asset? Impressive shows to bluff the jury. Antonio and Marco, two brothers aged 25 and 23, come from a family of pizza makers from Lyon and have several pizzerias. They are participating for the first time in the world championships in the Neapolitan pizza category.
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Jérémy, 35, is a competitive enthusiast. He has already been world champion in Parma and this time is aiming for the trophy in the classic category. It also competes in the French dessert pizza championship. As for Mathilde, 28 years old, she had no ambition to work in this field but was bitten by the virus. She trained with the big names in French and Italian pizza and is trying her luck in the Neapolitan category. A real challenge for the young woman who, a year earlier, was not yet a pizzaiola.
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Whether they are experienced, competition fans or almost novices, they all aim for victory, which is decisive for the rest of their career. So they prepare like athletes before the big day.
“Everyone eats and loves pizza. France is even the second largest consumer country in the world, behind the United States, and ahead of Italy!
, explains Stéphanie Doncker, the director.
Passion Pizza allows us to highlight a universe that we all think we know, but that we ultimately know very little about... For several years, the profession has continued to change and evolve, notably with the appearance of professionals younger and younger. They take hold of the codes of pizza to better redefine them. Following these women and men pizza makers allows us to show the new face of this environment.”
An original program which plunges us into the mysteries of a spectacular, human and undeniably greedy competition.