A Brief History of Pizza
How was pizza invented?
Pizza itself may have originated with the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, or any population who mixed flour with water and then heated them on a hot stone. In one of its many forms, pizza has been a basic part of the Italian diet since the Stone Age. This earliest form was a crude bread baked beneath the stones of fire. After cooking, the bread was seasoned with various toppings, and used in place of plates and utensils. Some historians believe that idea of using bread as a plate originates with Greeks who ate flat round bread (plankuntos) baked with an assortment of toppings
How Did Pizza Get It’s Name
Pizza was invented in Naples, Italy. The first pizzerias opened there around 1830. It was originally called pizza pie and was made in the oven by the baker. The word “pizza” comes from the Italian word “pizze”, which means “round pie”.
When was tomato added to pizza?
Prior to the introduction of tomatoes to Italy, the most common pizza topping was cheese and herbs. Tomatoes were first brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to America in 1493. The tomato was not commonly eaten until it was introduced as an ingredient on pizzas in Naples, Italy during the 1700s.
Why do we use mozzarella cheese on pizza?
Mozzarella is a relatively recent addition to pizza; it wasn’t until the 1950s that it became a regular topping. But even then, it took some time for mozzarella to become popular enough to appear on every pie.
In fact, mozzarella was introduced to many American consumers via pizza restaurants in the 1960s, when Italian immigrants began opening shops across the country. It wasn’t until decades later that it became ubiquitous.
The reason for this is that mozzarella has a unique elasticity and water and oil content, according to research published in the Journal of Food Science in 2016 by scientists at Cornell University and New York University (NYU). The scientists found that these properties create a stringy consistency that makes for delicious bubbly cheese—but doesn’t stick together into clumps or pools of grease on top of your pizza.
Why is it called Margherita Pizza?
In 1889 King Umberto I and Queen Margherita di Savoia visited Naples for a holiday. They were served a variety of pizzas by Raffaele Esposito, who made his own version with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil leaves (which represents the colours of the Italian flag). The Queen loved it so much that she sent him a letter thanking him for his creation and expressing her appreciation for his delicious meal. This pizza set the bar for modern pizzas and firmly established Naples as the pizza capital of the world!
Which country eats most pizza?
Pizza consumption varies wildly from country to country. While the United States is a major consumer of pizza, they don’t rank number one on the list. That honour goes to Norway, which consumes an average of 11 pounds of pizza per person per year!
The majority of that pizza isn’t made in restaurants; instead, Norwegians prefer to pop a frozen pizza in the oven and dine at home. Throughout the country, 47 million frozen pizzas are consumed annually.
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