Spices on the Pie

Ok my previous post kinda brought this to my attention so I will ask you here.

I put a Basil/Oregeno mix on top of my pizzas. The question that came up is do you think it is ok to put the spices on top of the cheese, or would they be best to be put under the cheese? I currently put them on top of the cheese, do you think it would be more marketable to put the spices under the cheese? Do you think that if I put them under the cheese the intensity of the flavor might be more hidden among the rest of the pie?

Thoughts?

We incorporate our spices into the sauce and becomes part of our overall flavor profile. On occasion, we get customers that ask for oregano and other spices (besides crushed red pepper). I think this should be left to the customer’s discretion. Having pizza makers shake on spices leaves too much room for error.
Your personal tastes may not be the way your customers want it. Don’t give them a reason not to like your pizzas (or come back)!

We “sparingly” put the spices on top of the ingredients but under the cheese.
a) Spices on top will burn leaving an unpleasant taste.
b) Spices under the cheese will react with the moisture in the toppings thus enhancing the flavour
c) Dried spices / herbs are 3 - 4 times more intense in taste than fresh ones hence the “sparingly”. Remember the Japanese quotation when using dried herbs and spices … “Less is More”

On your photos there is way, way too much spices / herbs for dried ones. All they would taste would be a burnt overwhelming spice.

Dave

Our “spice blend” is mostly pamasan cheese (995?) w/basil & others tossed in, but only on a minor scale, so the blend adds to the cheese flavor profile and enhance the sauce flavor as well, as we only lightly spice the sauce - moderation is the key 2 customer acceptance…