I’LL BE THE JUDGE OF THAT

BY BRIAN HERNANDEZ

It is said that Lady Justice is blind—her scales swayed only by the evidence at hand, her sword at the ready. But what if she judged by smell and taste? Suddenly her “objective” scales could be weighted in one direction or the other, and her whetted rapier just might serve up slices instead of sentences. Luckily, most of us don’t have to face that kind of judgment—except for pizzaioli, for whom it’s a daily occurrence. Sometimes they even voluntarily place themselves at the mercy of the toughest magistrates of all—their fellow pizza makers—in regional, national or international pizza making competitions. With in-person competitions springing back up around the world, now is the time to make sure you know what judges look for in a perfect pie and how to prepare for different events in different regions.

Rudy Waldner—an author, professor of marketing and dining etiquette in Costa Rica, vintner and U.S. Pizza Team member—is no stranger to sitting in judgment of others’ culinary gifts. With visits to more than 10,000 restaurants and 2,000 bottles of wine in more than 80 countries under his belt (literally), Waldner has judged competitions from wine to wings and from barbecue to pizza. He knows what it takes to make your dish stand out from the competition and tip the scales in your favor. Court is now in session, the Honorable Rudolf J. Waldner presiding!

PMQ: What should competitors think about when creating a competition pie? Regions? Local ingredients? Hometown tastes? Waldner: I’ve watched as everything you mentioned has won and lost in competitions. I’ve seen a terrific pie from a Texasbased entrant that offered a delicious, shredded barbecue-style pizza. It didn’t fly with the judges, most of whom hailed from Italy and were looking for more of a traditional pizza. Flavor and ingredients are huge, but the audience must always be considered. A white clam pizza will likely not win in Arkansas.

PMQ: What do judges look for, besides a delicious slice—exotic ingredients or just the basics?

Waldner: Both. But if you’re using exotic ingredients, you absolutely need to know your audience. Do your research on local and seasonal toppings from the area where you’re competing. Some judges may look for something outside the box, but a majority will have a certain regional palate, and they tend to judge based on that. Always remember, too, that less is more. You want every single ingredient to shine through on its own. You should be able to discern each individual flavor.

PMQ: What are some of your best tips for competitors?

Waldner: Know everything about your pie. There are two styles of judging: blind judging and open judging, where the competitor presents the pizza directly to the judges. In open judging, the judges are typically allowed to ask you questions. You better know all your times and temperatures in dough production, as well as ingredients and weights. It’s good to know at least one unique fact about all of the ingredients on your pie. And, especially in Italy, the judges will grill you about your dough production process.

Choose slices that have great crumb structure and evenly distributed toppings. Some people like to have all of the flavors in a single bite. That becomes a balancing act, since you could end up with a wall of flavor that’s hard to judge. Others try to have only one or two ingredients in one bite, so each bite is