History of Pizza: Who Invented It, and Where?

 

 Pizza may be America’s favorite food, but this cheesy treat didn’t start in the United States. Sure, it beat out steak, tacos, pasta, and hamburgers as the food most Americans would like to eat for the rest of their lives. But is pizza American? Or—in homage to its culinary and linguistic roots—is pizza Italian?

 Plenty of cultures might like to claim it as their invention. But depending on how you define it, the origin of pizza goes back as far as ancient times. The doughy delight evolved from flatbread, which has been around since the ancient Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Egyptians. An early record of pizza’s historic predecessor comes from one of Rome’s greatest poets, Virgil. In his 19 BCE epic Aeneid, he writes of Trojan citizens fleeing their city’s destruction and landing in Latium, Italy, where they found themselves ravenous after their journey. Still hungry after their meal of mushrooms and herbs cooked on stale round loaves, the travelers also ate the serving cakes. The hero’s son Ascanius then declared, “See, we devour the plates on which we fed!”—making pizza history.

 The convenience of plating savory fare atop dough rounds may have first been announced by Ascanius, but pizza’s portability—and taste—have made it the late-night snack and sidewalk lunch of choice. So how did pizza become so popular? Read on.

 Where Was Pizza Invented?

Pizza wasn’t so much invented as it was evolved. Drawing inspiration from the traditional topped flatbreads of yore, pizza was first documented by name in 997 CE, in a text from southern Italy in which the son of a feudal lord pledges 12 pizzas to the local bishop as an annual homage.

 The pizza we know today emerged in 18th-century Naples. The city was experiencing a surge of peasants from the countryside, and its economy couldn’t keep up with all the mouths to feed. The poverty-stricken folks, known as the lazzaroni, needed something cheap and easy to eat. One solution: pizzas from street vendors, who priced and sized slices according to a customer’s budget.

 Sometimes the toppings were as simple as garlic and salt, but they could also include cheese, basil, and occasionally tomatoes. In fact, the origin of this topping dates to this time: At this point in pizza history, Europeans were suspicious of nightshades, which were introduced to the continent early in American colonization. The low demand for tomatoes led to low prices—perfect for hungry peasants. But tomatoes on pizza—and pizza itself—were about to come into their own.

 Who Invented Pizza?

In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples. They had become bored with their steady diet of French haute cuisine (sigh), and they asked to taste some local specialties. Pizzeria Brandi chef Raffaele Esposito and his wife produced three pizzas for the royal couple. One featured tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, with the red, white, and green matching the colors of the Italian flag (though a description of this flavor can be found as early as 1866). Queen Margherita chose this one as her favorite, and it was named Pizza Margherita. The Queen was so fond of her namesake pie that she sent the pizzaiolo a thank-you letter, which can be seen at the restaurant to this day. (Her embrace of the peasants’ treat improved its status, though the dish didn’t become terribly popular in Italy until after World War II.)

 Pizza Margherita remains on plenty of menus today. But the queen’s contribution to the origin of pizza goes beyond the margherita—today, cheese and some form of tomato are baseline toppings for most pies.

 In What Year Did the World’s First Pizzeria Open?

Pizzeria Brandi may have put pizza on the map, but the world’s first pizzeria was Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, established in 1738 as a stand for Naples peddlers. About a hundred years later, the spot expanded and added tables and chairs; eventually, they even earned a visit from King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, who came incognito to get a sense of the mood of his people (and, most likely, a slice topped with garlic and tomato sauce).

 Acknowledging its eateries’ important role in the origin of pizza, Naples in 2004 passed a law about what constitutes a true Neapolitan pizza. It must be round, produced with a specific type of yeast and flour, cooked in a wood-fired oven above 905 degrees Fahrenheit, and can include only the finest ingredients. The olive oil on the base must be poured in a spiral motion, and if grated cheese makes an appearance, it must be spread with a uniform motion of the hand.