Once Upon a Pizza: A Tale of How the Dish Emerged

Traces of Ancient Flatbread

Once upon a time, thousands of years ago in the lands of Egypt, Greece, and Italy early variations of flatbread emerged. People there enjoyed flatbread garnished with cheese, herbs, oil, and vegetables.

Classic Neapolitan Pizza

Moving forward to the 18th-19th century of the highly populated Naples, Italy. This city consisted of hardworking people who depended on affordable on-the-go street food.

Tomatoes Takeover

During the 16th century, tomatoes were introduced from the Americas. The Italians implemented the vegetable on the pizza as it was an affordable option. Now tomatoes are considered a must-have ingredient when preparing this delicious dish.

Pizza an Italian Staple

Pizza became a staple in Napoli due to its low cost and remains a must of on menus throughout Italy to this day.

Wood-fired Excellence

Using traditional wood-fired ovens to achieve a char and unique flavor provided Neapolitan pizza its unique flavor that is considered a classic today.

Traveling to America

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian immigrants brought their love for pizza to the United States. The original dish was experimented with and given variations in the new land.

Pizza Anyone?

The first documentation of the word pizza traces back to 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy. Therefore, although flatbread was present in other parts of the world in the initial stages, the origin of the name is strictly Italian.

Margherita Pizza

The tale of how the Margherita pizza came about relates to the Queen Margherita of Savoy. During her visit to Naples, she wished to try something new other than her everyday French cuisine. Raffaele Esposito, a well-reputed pizza chef, put together a brand new pizza style for her featuring colors from the Italian flag.

National Pizza Day

Today on National Pizza Day, we hope you enjoy this delicious dish even more now that you know the story behind it. Wishing you a happy cheese pull!