The PUOK sandwich: an homage to Naples
Naples has always cherished its symbols and icons. Among them is, of course, Maradona —one of the city’s most beloved figures of all time. When it comes to food, and especially street food, fried pizza immediately comes to mind: a hymn to tradition and to the culture of quick, simple, yet deeply flavorful dishes.
On the PUOK menu, there is a sandwich that brings together these two Neapolitan legends: Maradona and fried pizza.
Fried pizza: a symbol of Naples
Fried pizza is one of Naples’ most famous street foods, once prepared in alleyways and private homes. It’s so iconic that it even appeared in Vittorio De Sica’s celebrated film The Gold of Naples, where Sophia Loren plays the wife of a pizzaiolo, selling fried pizzas in post-war Naples.
But what was the recipe behind this legendary fried pizza?
It was simple and humble, made with inexpensive ingredients like ricotta, pork cracklings (cicoli), and pepper. These fillings were tucked inside disks of classic pizza dough, folded into a half-moon shape, and fried in hot oil until golden, puffy, and crispy.
One of the places that quickly stood out for the quality of its fried pizza—and eventually became famous across the city — was Antica Friggitoria La Masardona. Some say they practically invented fried pizza, thanks to Anna Manfredi — nicknamed “La Masardona”—who began selling it outside her home on Sunday mornings in 1945, initially only to neighbors and people from the area.
Over the years, that small family activity grew into a true Neapolitan institution. Today, La Masardona is the temple of fried pizza, renowned for high-quality products and first-choice ingredients. Every day, both locals and tourists flock there to enjoy their half-moon pizzas stuffed with ricotta, cicoli, and pepper — just as they were in the past.
Diego Armando Masardona: two icons in one sandwich
If “La Masardona” has kept the Neapolitan fried pizza tradition alive for generations, PUOK celebrates it with a sandwich that captures those same flavors and that same history —naming it in honor of its legendary status in Naples: Diego Armando Masardona.
The sandwich contains the very ingredients of a classic fried pizza, but reimagined in true PUOK style: grilled Neapolitan cicoli (seasoned with salt and pepper), breaded and fried provola cheese, roasted cherry tomato cream, ricotta with salt and pepper, and fresh basil.
Diego Armando Masardona is the PUOK sandwich that tastes like Naples — carrying forward its culinary tradition, rooted in simplicity and best enjoyed on the street. You can savor it at PUOK’s two locations, in Vomero and Spaccanapoli, or from the comfort of home.
Every bite is an explosion of flavor. Every bite takes you back to the essence of fried pizza. Every bite takes you back to the very heart of Naples.
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