Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio

Busting Pizza’s Biggest Myths with Nathan Myhrvold

Oct 31, 2025
Nathan Myhrvold, founder of Modernist Cuisine and author of Modernist Pizza, shares his insightful tests debunking pizza myths related to water and oven types. He reveals the intriguing history of pizza in America and the truth behind the Margherita story. Alongside Adam Gopnik, a New Yorker staff writer, they discuss modern food identities and navigating diverse dietary restrictions. Their conversation emphasizes accessible home pizza-making and the importance of accommodating various eating preferences in family meals.
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INSIGHT

What Counts As Pizza

  • Nathan Myhrvold defines pizza as the Naples-born flatbread lineage that spread worldwide in the 19th century.
  • He excludes other global flatbreads and focuses on variations derived from Neapolitan pizza.
ANECDOTE

How The Book Was Built

  • Modernist Pizza is three volumes plus a spiral kitchen manual housed in a red stainless case inspired by Italian exports.
  • The lab includes a restaurant-scale kitchen, scientific gear, and a machine shop for thousands of experiments.
ADVICE

Ignore The Myth Of Magical Water

  • Don't believe claims that local water (Naples or New York) is required to make great pizza; Myhrvold tested waters side-by-side.
  • Focus on technique, not mythical ingredients, to improve home pizza.
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