Emily Chan
Pizza is the one food we can never get enough of. The cheesy slices can be topped with whatever meats and veggies we desire and are often present at parties of all kinds because of how much people love them. Pizza also makes the perfect weekday meal for when you’ve got nothing going on.
Pizza is such a popular food, so you might be curious to know how it came to dominate our lives. Some people believe that pizza originated in Italy, while others think of it as an all-American treat. Sure, certain types of our favorite pizzas may have their roots in American cities, such as New York-style and Chicago-style pizzas.
However, pizza did not get its start in Italy or America. In fact, people have been eating pizza in some form for centuries, going all the way back to ancient times.
The dish has been around since the ancient Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Egyptians and was served as pieces of flatbread with savory toppings. Toppings at the time included mushrooms, herbs, olive oil, and spices.
Modern-day pizza came into being in Naples, Italy. During the eighteenth century, Naples was experiencing a steady influx of working-class people from the countryside, so the city was growing fast. The economy struggled to keep up with the booming population. More and more people fell into poverty. They needed food that was inexpensive to make and could be eaten quickly.
Pizza met their requirements. They were sold by street vendors, who would price slices based on each customer’s budget. The toppings included cheese, basil, and sometimes, even tomatoes. Or they would be as simple as salt and garlic.
For a while, pizza was unpopular in Italy since it was associated with the poor. That all changed in the late nineteenth century. In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita were visiting Naples and had grown tired of the fancy French dishes, so they asked to taste some of the local cuisine.
Chef Raffaele Esposito and his wife quickly cooked up three different pizzas for the monarchs. One was made with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. The queen declared this one to be her favorite, and it was named Pizza Margherita in her honor.
Margherita’s approval of the dish shifted the country’s views on pizza. If the food was fit for a queen, then certainly, it was good enough for the general public. Still, it didn’t really take off in Italy until after World War Two.
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