It all started with the "Mastunicola," a pizza topped with lard, cheese and basil: the first pizza topping ever, now no longer in use. Then came the "Marinara," the "Margherita," the "Capricciosa." The tasty pies that have built the Italian pizza scene, timeless ingredient combos that never tire.
Tomatoes! The tomato was an item of speculation and mystery up until the 16th Century. In fact, many Europeans thought the tomato to be poisonous. Poor citizens in the ghettos of Naples began adding tomatoes to their flatbreads in the mid 16th Century, sparking the birth of modern pizza.
The first record of the word 'pizza' dates as early as 997. The word indicated a stuffed bread folded on itself that cooked in the oven. Toppings included lard, a few pieces of garlic and coarse salt, but also olive oil, cheese and some aromatic herbs including basil.
An often recounted story holds that on June 11, 1889, to honour the queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, the Neapolitan pizza maker Raffaele Esposito created the "Pizza Margherita", a pizza garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, to represent the national colours of Italy as on the Flag of Italy.
In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples and enjoyed their first slice of pizza. The queen fancied hers with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, and from there on out, this iconic combo has been called the Margherita pizza. This meal is also credited as the first pizza delivery!
The pizza we know today emerged in 18th-century Naples.
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.
Flatbreads with toppings were consumed by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. (The latter ate a version with herbs and oil, similar to today's focaccia.) But the modern birthplace of pizza is southwestern Italy's Campania region, home to the city of Naples.
Pizza was first created by the Baker named Raffeale Esposito in Naples, Italy. He was willing to invent Pizza which is totally different from other Types of Pizzas in Naples. He first came up with the idea of savoring the Pizza with cheese. Later, he added tomato sauce underneath.
However, since Naples, Italy was founded as a Green port city, pizza was developed further in Italy. At first, it was bread with oil and herbs. It wasn't until later that mozzarella and tomatoes were added. The modern pizza, as we know it today, became popular in the late 18th century.
Myth: Italians invented pizza.
While the flatbread-sauce-cheese version of pizza most likely originated in Naples, Italy can't quite take credit for inventing pizza. “The broadest definition of pizza is a yeasted flatbread with ingredients baked into it. That had its origins with the Greeks,” Helstosky says.
BBQ Pizza. Pulled pork, grilled BBQ chicken, smoked brisket, ribs that you've pulled off the bone, toss 'em all on a pizza crust, with or without BBQ sauce and cheese.
Legend has it that Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889. There, Esposito was asked to make them a pizza. He topped the pizza with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil.
Who Invented Pizza First? Raffaele Esposito's pizzas were so famous that in 1889 Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita requested that he make them a special pie. The ingredients comprised much of what we associate pizza with today. A simple dough, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.
1. Pepperoni. The king of toppings is pepperoni.
Italy offers sauce that many Americans might not be used to. Instead of slow-cooked tomato sauce like we offer here in the US, Italy uses olive oil, pureed fresh tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. This gives their pizza a herby taste that U.S. consumers may not come across often.
Bread, pasta, olives, and beans were all staples, and Italians also made a variety of different types of polenta. The diet would have varied depending on region, as well: fish featured heavily near the coast, while inland communities would rely more on pork and wild game.
Neapolitan Pizza
Neapolitan is the original pizza. This delicious pie dates all the way back to 18th century in Naples, Italy.
In Rome, pizza developed as something baked in commercial bread ovens after the daily bread was finished, just in time to be served for lunch. Originally it was topped with olive oil, or cheese and vegetables, and then from the 18th century onwards with fresh tomatoes or passata (tomato puree).
You will also notice that authentic Italian pizza doesn't combine the toppings and sauce to be cooked together. They simply layer the sauce along the crust. You may even notice some pizzas without sauce and just a drizzle of olive oil. This is called 'bianca'.
The Toppings
A traditional Italian pizza would just resort to some fresh basil leaves which, together with the red tomato sauce and the white Mozarella di Bufala cheese complete the tri-colour of the Italian flag.
Pizza marinara has no cheese: just tomato sauce, thinly sliced garlic, and oregano. It's similar to pizza margherita, but without the cheese. Some sources state pizza marinara originated as early as the mid 1700's in Naples.
The Italians use a variety of terms to describe their pizza. Crostata and torta are both used to describe savory and sweet pies, and pizza is a singular word that represents only one dish. There are other names for pizza, but these are the most common. There's nothing wrong with being confused.
1. Norway. Norwegians consumes the most pizza in the world on a per-person ratio. This small nation has a population of about 5.5 million, and they eat about 5 kg (11 lbs) pizza each annually.
Based on etymology, the “Vocabolario Etimologico della Lingua Italiana” reveals that pizza comes from the dialectal pinza from the Latin pinsere, which means to pound or stamp. Other etymologists suggest it is related to the Lombardic word bizzo or pizzo, which means mouthful, and is related to the English word bite.