History of pizza – Did you know that pizza is one of the most popular and loved dishes in the world? But do you know its fascinating history and how it was invented?
Discover the incredible origin of pizza!
It all began in ancient Egypt during the “age of the pyramids” (2635 to 2155 B.C.), with the discovery of yeast. But wait, the pizza was not as we imagine it today. In its initial form, it was a sun-shaped flatbread, similar to Focaccia.
Although it has evolved over time, the key ingredients of pizza have always been the same: flour, water, yeast and salt. Immerse yourself in the history and taste of this classic Italian dish.
In ancient Greece, this round bread was also used, but they added oil, spices and cheese.
The Romans adopted this tradition and developed their own version of pizza, known as “picea”. It was a flat dough covered with oil, herbs, garlic and cheese. It was often eaten as a staple food and sold on the streets. Available in most humble homes, it was a dish within the reach of most.
However, what really transformed this flatbread into the pizza we know today was the arrival of the tomato in Europe. This happened with the discovery of America, when the tomato arrived in Naples in the 16th century. Italians gradually incorporated tomato into their dishes, and bakers began to bake bread with tomato due to high demand from their customers.
As a curious fact, at the beginning, the tomato was considered poisonous and was used only as an ornamental plant in gardens. It was a hungry farmer who decided to add tomato to his bread, and thus its use in food became popular.
But it was not until the 18th century (1738), in Naples, when the word “pizza” was first recorded and officially used in a public document. At that time, pizza was a popular food among the working class in Naples, and local bakeries began to make and sell this inexpensive and delicious dish. However, the opening of the first official pizzeria, as we know it today, occurred in 1830 with the founding of“Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba“, a place that is still open today.
Later, in 1889, Raffaele Esposito, a famous Naples pizza maker, owner of the pizzeria “Pietro il Pizzaiolo”, now known as “Pizzeria Brandi”, had the honor of preparing pizzas for the Italian kings, Don Umberto I and Donna Margherita of Savoy, during their visit to Naples .
The royalty expressed their desire to try this dish so popular among the common people of the city.
Raffaele Esposito, the pizza maker, baked and sent three different pizzas to their majesties:
- the“Mastunicola“, made with lard, cheese and basil;
- Marinara“, seasoned with garlic, oil and tomatoes;
-
and the“Monarca“, a creation that honored the kings by representing the colors of the Italian flag (green, white and red) with the ingredients of basil, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. Queen Margherita was captivated by the latest pizza, which was renamed by Raffaele Esposito as“Pizza Margherita” in her honor.
That’s how pizza conquered the world, everyone wanted to try the queen’s pizza. First, Italian immigrants brought their traditional recipes to the United States. The first registered pizzeria in the United States opened in New York in 1905. From then on, pizza conquered the whole world and large pizza chains emerged.
At Pipazze, we strive to maintain the essence of that sun-shaped flatbread, made with flour, water, yeast and salt, while adding the best ingredients selected with the utmost culinary delicacy and baking it in our stone oven.
