Pizza’s origins are unclear, but it likely began as bread cooked on hot stones. Naples is considered the birthplace of modern pizza, with the creation of focaccia and later the casa de nanza. Europeans were initially afraid of tomatoes, but farmers eventually began using them on pizza. The first pizzeria opened in Naples in 1738, and the Pizza Margherita was created in 1889. Pizza’s popularity spread to America through Italian immigrants and US soldiers in World War II. Despite its mysterious origins, pizza remains a beloved dish worldwide.
No one can really say who invented pizza. Pizza probably had its origins in prehistoric times as bread was one of the earliest types of prepared food, with the dough cooked on flat, hot stones. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians are said to have eaten a pizza-like food. Perhaps the Greeks or the Egyptians are the ones who invented pizza.
Despite these early incarnations, Naples is considered the cradle of modern pizza. Naples may not be the city that invented pizza in its childhood, but it engineered a dish that continues to influence the world to this day. The city of Naples developed flat circles of cooked pasta covered in spices and herbs. The simple dish was popular with the farmers of that area. The dish was called focaccia.
Later in Naples, the casa de nanza was created. The women flattened the dough into disc-like shapes and placed the leftovers on top before baking the bread in the oven. This peasant food was created to be eaten without the use of utensils. It has enabled housewives to incorporate fresh greens into their meals without wasting yesterday’s leftovers.
Pizza that looked more like modern versions didn’t emerge until the 1600s. This was due to Europeans’ fear of tomatoes. In the early 1500s, Spanish conquistadors brought tomatoes back from Peru and Ecuador.
Unfortunately, Europeans viewed tomatoes with suspicion, thinking the fruit might be poisonous. In the late 1600s, Europeans overcame their fear and started consuming tomatoes. Farmers were the first to use tomatoes on their pizza.
The first pizzeria in the world opened its doors in 1738. The restaurant in Naples was called Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba. His pizzas were cooked in an oven that used lava from nearby Vesuvius. In 1889, Queen Margherita Teresa Giovanni, wife of Umberto I, King of Italy, visited the city of Naples. A man named Don Raffaele Esposito owned the Pietro Il Pizzaiolo tavern and was asked to create a special dish in honor of Queen Margherita. He responded by serving the queen a pizza containing mozzarella and basil.
Mozzarella was an ingredient never used before on a pizza. The pizza’s distinctive red, white, and green color echoed the colors of the Italian flag, and Esposito dubbed it the Pizza Margherita. The popularity of pizza has continued to grow over the centuries. Italian immigrants traveled to America and brought pizza with them. In 1905, the first licensed pizzeria was opened on American soil.
Called Lombardi’s Pizzeria Napoletana, it was located in New York City. The historic pizzeria still exists today. In World War II, US soldiers stationed in Italy returned home to America raving about the Italian dish called pizza. Their appreciation of the dish caused pizza to rise in popularity in the United States
The invention of the first pizza-like food remains shrouded in mystery. It is doubtful that historians will really find out who decided to flatten a piece of dough and sprinkle food on it before cooking. Despite its mysterious origins, the world continues its love affair with the delicious oven-cooked dish. Perhaps the question of who invented pizza is not so important. The important fact is that it was invented and people all over the world enjoy biting into a slice.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
