Hey there, young foodies, and pizza lovers! Are you ready to embark on a mouthwatering adventure that will take you back in time to discover the fascinating origins of everyone’s favorite cheesy delight? Today we’ll dig into the tantalizing history of pizza, a culinary masterpiece that has captured the hearts (and taste buds) of people around the world. From its humble beginnings as a simple flatbread to the mouthwatering creations we know and love today, pizza has a rich and flavorful story to tell. So, grab a napkin, loosen your belts, and get ready to sink your teeth into the captivating history of this beloved dish that has become a global sensation. Let’s follow the tantalizing trail of dough, sauce, and toppings as we unravel the delectable journey of pizza!

Pizza has been around for centuries. An ancestor of pizza probably was the focaccia, a flat bread known to the Romans as Latin panis focacius, to which they added toppings. Modern pizza evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, in the 18th or early 19th century.

The word pizza was first documented in A.D. 997 in Gaeta and successively in different parts of Central and Southern Italy. Pizza was mainly eaten in Italy and by emigrants from there. This changed after World War II when Allied troops stationed in Italy came to enjoy pizza along with other Italian foods.

Just so you know—Gaeta is a city in the province of Latina, in Lazio, Southern Italy. It is set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, and it is 75 miles (120 kilometers) from Rome and 50 mi (80 km) from Naples. Gaeta has a long history dating back to ancient times, when it was a Roman port and resort town. It has many historical and artistic attractions, such as the megalithic walls, the Roman mausoleums of Lucius Munatius Plancus and Lucius Sempronius Atratinus, the medieval castle and the churches of Annunziata and San Francesco. Gaeta is also famous for its beautiful beaches and its delicious food, especially the tiella, a savory pie stuffed with various ingredients.

In Sardinia, French and Italian archaeologists have found bread baked over 7,000 years ago. Foods similar to pizza have been made since antiquity. Records of people adding other ingredients to bread to make it more flavorful can be found throughout ancient history.

• In the 6th century BC, Persian soldiers serving under Darius the Great baked flatbreads with cheese and dates on top of their battle shields.
• In Ancient Greece, citizens made a flat bread called plakous, which was flavored with toppings like herbs, onion, cheese, and garlic.
• An early reference to a pizza-like food occurs in the Aeneid (ca. 19 BC), when Celaeno, the Harpy queen, foretells that the Trojans would not find peace until they are forced by hunger to eat their tables (Book III). In Book VII, Aeneas and his men are served a meal that includes round cakes (like pita bread) topped with cooked vegetables. When they eat the bread, they realize that these are the “tables” prophesied by Celaeno.

Focaccia is one of the flatbreads that still exists today from ancient Mediterranean times. Foods similar to flatbreads in other parts of the world include Chinese bing (a wheat flour-based Chinese food with a flattened or disk-like shape); the Indian paratha (in which fat is incorporated); the Central and South Asian naan (leavened) and roti (unleavened); the Sardinian carasau, spianata, guttiau, pistoccu; and Finnish rieska.

In 16th-century Naples, a galette flatbread was referred to as a pizza. Known as the dish for poor people, it was sold in the street and was not considered a kitchen recipe for a long time. This was later replaced by oil, tomatoes (after Europeans came into contact with the Americas) or fish. A popular story states that on June 11, 1889, Raffaele Esposito made the “Pizza Margherita” in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy. The pizza was garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, symbolizing the Italian flag. Pizza grew into a type of bread and tomato dish, often served with cheese. Until the late 19th or early 20th century, the dish was a sweet flat bread, similar to schiacciata.

Today people around the world are still enjoying pizza! Are you one of them?

AIME