No Matter How You Slice It, the History of Pizza Will Surprise You
Plus, when did pepperoni as a pizza topping become a thing?
One food that we can never get enough of is pizza. The cheesy slices, topped with all our favorite veggies and meats, are such an enticing treat. We can associate eating pizza with special events like the Superbowl or with any type of party because most people love it and it's easy to serve. But, for most of us, our hunger for pizza makes it the perfect meal for any day of the week. Because it is such a popular food, it may be interesting to know the complete history of pizza. And you may be surprised to find out—it didn't actually originate in Italy.
We know that certain types of our favorite pizzas originated in a couple of our big cities—both Chicago-style and New York-style pizzas are very popular. Depending on whether you like a thick or thin crust, you'll either prefer the deep dish pizza of Chicago or the hand-tossed thin crust pizza of New York. However, pizza didn't get its start in America.
Here is everything that you need to know about the history of pizza and how it got to be so popular.
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Definition of Pizza
According to Britannica, the definition of pizza is "a dish of Italian origin consisting of a flattened disk of bread dough topped with some combination of olive oil, oregano, tomato, olives, mozzarella or other cheese, and many other ingredients, baked quickly—usually, in a commercial setting, using a wood-fired oven heated to a very high temperature—and served hot."
History of Pizza
Although the official definition of pizza credits Italy for its origin, historians would say that some derivative of pizza was being made in the Middle East during ancient times—flatbreads with toppings were consumed by those in Egypt, Rome and Greece. They would cook the flatbread in mud ovens and it became a popular thrifty and convenient food. The toppings of the time consisted of olive oil and spices (now known as focaccia).
Modern day pizza, as we know it, did originate in Naples, Italy. During the 1700s and early 1800s, Naples was a thriving city that consisted largely of the working poor. They needed food that inexpensive and could be made and consumed quickly. Pizza was the perfect solution and included toppings like tomatoes, cheese, anchovies and garlic. Although pizza was popular with the poor in Italy, it wasn't embraced by the rest of the country at that time.
It wasn't until the late 19th century that pizza became known in the United States. This is when immigrants from Italy began to replicate their delicious pizzas in New York, Chicago and other cities. The immigrants were coming for factory jobs and weren't necessarily trying to make a culinary statement. However, the flavor and scent of their pizzas quickly enticed other Americans.
By 1905, the first pizzeria, Lombardi's, was founded in Manhattan and is still there today (although it's in a different location). Then, Marios opened in 1919 in the Bronx, Totonno's opened in 1924 in Brooklyn and Pepe's opened in 1925 in New Haven, Connecticut.
As Italian Americans began to relocate to other areas of the U.S., pizza really took off. Ironically, pizza didn't become popular with all Italians until after its popularity in the United States.
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Who Invented Margherita Pizza?
Margherita pizza is a simple and delicious pizza that is only topped with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, salt and olive oil. Margherita pizza was most likely invented in 1889.
It was during that year that a Neapolitan pizza maker, named Raffaele Esposito, wanted to honor the visit of Queen Margherita of Savoy and her husband, King Umberto I, to Naples. The ingredients of the simple toppings were to represent the colors of the Italian flag.
Related: DiGiorno Announces New Pizza With Only One Questionable Topping
When Did Pepperoni Become a Popular Topping?
One would have thought that pepperoni as a pizza topping would have been around since the origination of pizza. However, this popular topping didn't seem to become a thing until 1950 when it first appeared in a pizzeria called The Spot, in New Haven, Connecticut. Apparently it was a hit because other pizzerias throughout the U.S. followed suit.
Now, whenever we think of pizza, pepperoni is sure to come to mind as a most desired topping.
10 Most Popular Pizza Toppings
Pizzas have come a long way. Now, you can find all kinds of unique toppings. Even things like apples and goat cheese or shrimp and guacamole are options to put on top of a pizza. However, the most popular toppings for pizza make up a shorter list. Here are the top ten toppings in the U.S. according to Hungry Howies.
pepperoni
extra cheese
mushrooms
onions
sausage
black olives
green pepper
pineapple
no toppings but cheese
Next Up: Pizza Hut Revives 'The Big New Yorker' 16-Inch Pie From the '90s
