A 20-year-old Italian, Leone Coppola, has won the title of World Champion Pizza Maker at the Campionato Mondiale Della Pizza (World Pizza Championship) 2013 held in Parma, Emilia-Romagna.
Coppola comes from Varese in Lombardy. He learned how to be a pizzaiolo (pizza maker) in the home of pizza, Naples. Coppola works at the Vecchia Ottocento pizzeria in Gavirate, Varese.
The championship is in its 22nd year and was part of the Pizza World Show held at the Parma Food Fair. The event was organised by ‘Pizza e Pasta Italiana’ (Italian Pizza and Pasta) magazine.
Some 20,000 pizza professionals from all over the world attended the show, including pizza makers from China, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, the United States and Canada. The pizza makers participated both individually and in national teams in races.
They were judged for their preparation skills, with sections for preparing classic margherita pizza, sliced pizza, pizza napoletana (Neapolitan pizza) and gluten-free pizza. Other sections judge participants for their ability in terms speed, acrobatic style and creating the largest pizza.
Two women from Milan, Laura Meyer and Mara Mancosu, came in second and third place.
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