Saw Google Doodle pizza slicing game today? Here’s what its history says

New Delhi: Have you had a chance to try the Doodle today yet? The interactive Google Doodle for today honours pizza, one of the world's most popular dishes. On this day in 2007, the Neapolitan "Pizzaiuolo" culinary art was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Humanity's Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Google Doodle pizza puzzle game contains a few of the most popular pizza toppings from around the world and challenges players to slice it according to the style of pizza requested. The more precise the order, the more stars are awarded.

The Neapolitan 'Pizzaiuolo' art is a culinary activity that consists of four distinct steps connected to the preparation of the dough and its baking in a wood-fired oven, involving a rotatory movement by the baker.
The feature emerged in Naples, the capital of the Campania Region in southeastern Italy, where over 3,000 Pizzaiuoli today live and perform.

Pizzaiuoli is a living link between the two populations. The Master Pizzaiuolo, the Pizzaiuolo, and the Baker are the three main types of bearers, as well as the families in Naples who copy the art in their homes. The feature encourages social gatherings and intergenerational engagement, taking on a spectacular quality with the Pizzaiuolo at the centre of their 'bottega' presenting their art.

Every year, the Association of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli offers courses on the craft's history, instruments, and practises in order to ensure its continuation. Technical know-how is ensured by specific academies in Naples, and apprentices can learn the skill in the comfort of their own homes. On the other hand, knowledge and skills are primarily passed down in the 'bottega,' where young apprentices see masters at work and learn all of the craft's main phases and pieces.

Every year, an estimated five billion pizzas are devoured worldwide (350 slices every second in the United States alone).