Pasqualino Barbasso [Photo provided to China Daily]

How does somebody grow up and become famous for throwing giant pizzas in the air?

"It really started as a joke," says Italy's Pasqualino Barbasso, who has twice won the world championship for acrobatic pizza, in 2001 and again in 2002. "I started doing it at the restaurant where I worked long ago, and customers started asking me to come and do shows. Now I've been doing it for more than 15 years."

Barbasso has been in Beijing this week doing lunch and dinner shows at La Pizza outlets, including a finale today at the Shangdu SOHO store. The 43-year-old Sicilian has toured the world to showcase the quality and traditions behind Italian pizza.

We caught up with Barbasso between tosses to ask a few questions about his craft.

Q: What's the biggest pizza you've ever made in a competition?

Barbasso: About 2 meters. It starts with 1 kg of dough and takes about 10 minutes to spin out that big.

Q: Is the dough you use for acrobatics the same dough used to make a pizza for eating?

Barbasso: No. The dough for acrobatics is a bit drier for better handling.

Pasqualino Barbasso [Photo provided to China Daily]

Q: Do you still make pizza for eating?

Barbasso: Yes, of course, at my family pizzeria, Il Falcon Azzuro in Cammarata in Sicily.

Q: When you make a pizza for yourself, what's on it?

Barbasso: I like it simple. A basic margherita, maybe with Parma ham and some vegetables. That's it.

Q: How are pizza acrobats judged in a championship? Are there particular moves you get points for, like ice skaters and gymnasts? Or is it subjective?

Barbasso: Completely subjective. There's a lot of luck, too. It helps if you are having fun with it.