Pizza History

Asking where pizza came from may seem like a simple question. After all, it’s generally accepted that pizza originates from Italy, but there are several theories as to where the original idea for pizza was actually developed.

Some say that pizza came from the Greeks who bought their plankuntos to Italy, flat round bread that was baked with various toppings. Others argue that pizza came from the pita bread of the Middle East, while yet more say that it came from the unleavened matzo bread that Italian legionnaires bought to Rome. Yet another theory is that pizza evolved from foccacia bread, a favourite snack that was eaten in Rome some 1,000 years ago.

Wherever pizza evolved from, there is general consensus that the pizza we know today was developed and eaten by peasants in Naples, Italy, in the early 1800s. They created a dish of flattened dough that was topped with olive oil, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, and soon the first pizza restaurant was opened in Naples in 1830.

At the time, pizza was generally considered a peasant food and not appropriate to those of more royal or upper-class standings. This all changed in 1889, when Queen Margherita and King Umberto I toured the Italian kingdom. While in Naples, the Queen got a taste for pizza and summoned local pizza restaurant owner Raffaele Esposito to create a selection of pizzas for her.

In true patriotic style, Raffaele created a pizza made of basil, mozzarella and tomatoes – the colours of the Italian flag, green, white and red. The pizza was an instant hit, and in honour of the Queen it became known as Pizza Margherita, and set the standard of the pizza we know and love today.

Although pizza has been eaten in Italy for centuries, it’s only fairly recently that it’s become so popular elsewhere. Pizza would have originally been taken abroad by Italian immigrants, but it was still largely unknown until after the Second World War. Soldiers who fought in Italy would return with a taste for pizza and with tales of the pizza restaurants they had visited, and since then demand for pizza has only increased.

Today there are numerous pizza options and toppings available, from the original Margherita pizza all the way to stuffed crust pizzas and deep-dish. Pizza is loved the world over by people from all walks of life, but it’s worth remembering where pizza came from and how far it has come.

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