Giovanni Marletta, a pizzaiolo in Shenzhen: with the perfect cooking of Moretti Forni, he has won over the Chinese public

Neapolitan pizza in China? It’s no longer a surprise: if it’s true that pizza is a universal language, which initially gained popularity in various parts of the world in its American and more commercial version, today we know that the Neapolitan style is recognized and rightly appreciated in every corner of the globe.

This time, it takes us to Shenzhen, a modern and large metropolis in Southeastern China and one of the most economically vibrant cities. Here, just under four years ago, Giovanni Marletta, a Sicilian professional from Catania, arrived. He now oversees the production of two pizzerias, Kyta and 90 Seconds, which base their offerings not only on Marletta's skill and professionalism but also on the perfect baking guaranteed by Neapolis, the electric oven from the Marche-based company Moretti Forni, whose power allows it to reach 510°C while maintaining precise control of temperatures at every moment of service.

Giovanni Marletta tells us that his journey in the kitchen "began at just 15 years old, working in some restaurants in my hometown. After finishing school, I moved to Spain to work. It was there, thanks to meeting a Neapolitan pizzaiolo, that I began to cultivate a real passion for pizza. I stayed in Spain for six years, then I gained some work experience between Naples and Ischia, returned to Spain... and then a job offer in China came along."

Moving one's career and life to such a distant and different place was not a common, and probably not an easy, choice: "I had actually already seriously considered moving to Japan, but then the Covid crisis erupted, and I couldn't proceed with my plan. When the offer for China came, I thought, 'Why not? At least I’ll get closer, go to Asia, and then we’ll see.' Since arriving here, I realized that life is good, so I decided to stay."

The first pizzeria entrusted to Marletta in Shenzhen, which he still runs, is called Kyta, a place entirely dedicated to the leavened disc, standing out for its use of high-quality Italian ingredients and a Neapolitan-style dough with high hydration and long fermentation: "Our dough is based on a pre-ferment, a sort of biga, although it’s not technically a true biga. The process takes about 30 hours, considering both fermentation and maturation. This first establishment represented a significant innovation in Shenzhen, and I would say in all of China, because before us, there were no places exclusively dedicated to pizza. Then, in February 2023, we opened a second pizzeria."

It's called 90 Seconds, a name clearly inspired by the time needed to cook a Neapolitan-style pizza. This second format differs from the first in its more varied offering: "In this case, the kitchen also produces first and second courses, adapting to the habits of the Chinese public, who prefer to order many different things and share the dishes in the center of the table. Due to this different approach, we decided to make the pizzas with a smaller diameter, while keeping the dough the same."

The menu at 90 Seconds lists 22 different pizzas, 18 of which feature ingredients and recipes linked to Italian tradition, while 4 are influenced by a more Chinese vision: "At first," Giovanni Marletta explains, "we had the idea of letting customers create their own pizzas: we offered them five bases on which they could select additional ingredients. Then we realized it wasn’t working as we wanted because the Chinese public, lacking a pizza culture, often chose conflicting ingredients. So we decided to reduce the options but only offer pizzas that we believe in."

There’s another peculiarity of Chinese taste for pizza, which leads local customers to be wary of the darker colorations on the crust, which form during the high-temperature baking. The "black bubbles on the edge," as Marletta calls them, can thus become a source of dissatisfaction for customers.

"Here in China, they are used to different doughs, to the American-style pizza, which has a much crunchier texture and a more golden-colored crust. The Chinese also add butter and sugar to their doughs, so we had to adapt somewhat to these preferences while remaining true to an Italian, Neapolitan-style dough. The key has thus become the baking process."

In this sense, for the pizzaiolo at 90 Seconds, the essential tool is the perfect baking provided by Moretti Forni and the precise temperature control offered by Neapolis at every moment within the oven chamber: "I often receive compliments for how I manage the baking of my pizzas, and many are surprised by the use of an electric oven, given the high quality of the product. We work exclusively with Neapolis; we have two at Kyta and two at 90 Seconds."

"When I started using Neapolis," Giovanni Marletta continues, "I was very impressed by how the temperature remained constant even after several hours of use. But the advantages offered by Moretti Forni are truly numerous: for example, the daily maintenance of the oven—we don’t have to face the often long and tiring task of cleaning a wood-fired oven after each use. Moreover, the people who work with me don’t have specific pizza training; they wouldn’t be able to manage a wood-fired oven, but with Neapolis, I can delegate and know that the product quality will remain consistent. These are really important strengths for us, and I am sure that even in the next pizzerias that the company I work for will open, likely in other cities in China, they will rely on Moretti Forni technology."