In Marseille, pizza is a religion. Its inhabitants have worshipped it ever since it first landed in their city, thanks to the many Italian families from Naples and Campania who settled in the suburbs around the Vieux-Port at the end of the 19th century.
Over time, the traditional recipes of the early immigrants evolved into a more local, standardized and instantly recognizable version: a relatively thin dough, lightly burnt edges and the mandatory use of Emmental cheese instead of mozzarella. Marseille residents eat it at any time of day, in the countless pizzerias lining the streets of every neighborhood, or at the counters of the 50 or so pizza trucks roaming the city.
A religion within a religion, the half-and-half pizza is probably Marseille's most popular recipe. The "moit-moit" (half-and-half), as people like to call it here, gets its name from the fact that its topping is divided into two sections. On one side is a thick layer of melting Emmental cheese, sprinkled with a few olives. On the other, tomato sauce and anchovies marinated in salt. This typical recipe, which can hardly be found outside the borders of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, does accept a few variations with the sparing addition of minced garlic, capers or dried oregano.
"For me, the half-and-half is a good embodiment of all the cultural dualities coexisting in Marseille in the very expression of its form," said Ezéchiel Zérah, author of Marseille. Un jour Sans Faim ! 25 Heures d’Explorations Culinaires pour Croquer Toute la Ville ("Marseille. A day Without Hunger! A 25-Hour-Culinary Tour to Taste the Entire City"), a book in which he devoted several chapters to the specificities of Marseille's pizza. "Its cheezy side could represent the city's gentle way of life and sensitivity, while its anchovy side, somewhere between strength and restraint, is reminiscent of the strength of character of the people of Marseille. Not to mention the divide between the southern and northern districts – and the fact that in the media at least, Marseille is often portrayed as being literally... divided into two parts."
No one really knows how – or by whom – half-and-half pizza was invented. The only certainty is that this popular dish par excellence is now as much a part of Marseille's culinary heritage as bouillabaisse, navette biscuits or pieds paquets. Here are five of Marseille's most emblematic and tasty half-and-half addresses. Enjoy!
Welcome to Etienne's, in the heart of Panier, one of Marseille's legendary pizzerias. Tightly packed tables, walls lined with photos of celebrities – from Matt Damon to Jean Reno and Jul – genial service and, behind the counter, a red-brick wood-fired oven peacefully belching wisps of smoke. In this gourmet den, run since 1943 by the same Sicilian family, the Cassaros, half-and-half pizzas are served as an appetizer at aperitif time. It is ordered by the portion (two per person) and served directly onto the plate with large spoons. The cheese portion is runny and extremely generous. The anchovy side, drizzled with a sprinkling of oregano, is more timid but no less tasty. Both rest on a relatively dense dough that holds its shape. The meal continues with supions (small squid) fried in parsley, the venue's other great specialty. It's a must, in the form of a culinary postcard, to take your first steps into the world of half-and-half pizzas.
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