Pizza Origin

Pizza has roots going back thousands of years, to when ancient people made flatbreads topped with different foods. But the pizza we know today-soft dough topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and other items-got its start in Naples, a busy city on the west coast of Italy. There, pizza changed from a simple flatbread into the beloved meal that people around the world enjoy today.

Pizza’s path from ancient bread to a worldwide favorite is full of interesting twists, from changes in ingredients to the stamp of approval from royalty. This article follows the history of pizza, from its beginnings with early flatbreads through its changes over time and its growth into many styles around the world. We’ll also clear up some common misunderstandings along the way.

Where Does Pizza Come From?

The idea of pizza is much older than most think, with roots in the food traditions of several ancient cultures. Long before it was an Italian favorite, people around the Mediterranean and nearby regions were putting toppings on flatbreads, creating early versions of what we now call pizza.

Word History and First Written Use

The name “pizza” has an interesting past. It was first found in 997 CE in the Southern Italian town of Gaeta, in a Latin document that said a tenant must give the local bishop “twelve pizzas” each year on Christmas and Easter. This shows that “pizza” was already known, even if the food was different from the modern version.

The word “pizza” may come from several possible sources. It could be linked to Greek and Latin words for a kind of bread (“pitta” or “pitta bread”), or from a Latin word about pounding or stamping dough. There’s also a possibility that it comes from a Lombardic word for “mouthful.” However it started, “pizza” has been part of Italian life for over a thousand years.

Early Flatbreads Like Pizza

Before there were records of “pizza,” lots of cultures were eating flatbreads with toppings. In 6th-century BCE Persia, soldiers baked flatbreads with cheese and dates on their shields. The Greeks made a bread called “plakous,” topped with herbs, onions, cheese, and garlic. Some even put fruit purees on top for religious offerings.

Romans also had their topped breads. “Panis focacius” was an early flatbread, and another bread called “libum” was often topped with cheese or fruit. Paintings of these topped breads have even been found in Pompeii. Even though these early dishes didn’t include tomatoes, which came much later, they all share the basic idea of putting tasty things on flatbread.

Modern examples of these kinds of flatbreads include focaccia from Italy, manakish from the Middle East, coca from Spain, pita from Greece, lepinja from the Balkans, and piadina from northern Italy. All show how flatbread recipes spread and changed in different places.

How Did Pizza Get Its Modern Form in Italy?

Although early people came up with the idea, pizza as we know it took shape in Italy, especially Naples. The changes happened slowly, as people used ingredients from the area and adjusted the food to local needs and tastes.

Naples and Pizza’s Modern Start

Pizza as we know it today developed in Naples between the 1500s and late 1700s. Life in Naples was lively and busy, with many poor workers who needed cheap, fast food. Pizza, sold by street vendors or at small stands, fit this need well, quickly becoming a basic food for many people. In the beginning, pizza was seen as simple, everyday food, not a fancy dish.

When Did Tomato Become a Pizza Topping?

Tomatoes, brought to Europe from the Americas in the 1500s, at first seemed dangerous to many Europeans, who worried they might be poisonous. Over time, especially by the late 1700s, people in Naples’ poorer neighborhoods started putting tomatoes on their flatbreads. This was a turning point, making pizzas closer to what we eat today.

Growth of Neapolitan Pizza

With tomatoes added, pizza’s popularity grew in Naples. By 1807, there were 54 pizzerias in the city, with more popping up over the years. Early versions were mostly eaten standing up or bought from vendors, but by the 1800s, the first pizzerias with tables let customers sit down and enjoy pizza inside. The Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, which opened in 1830, is thought to be the first of these, and another, now known as Mattozzi, opened in 1833.

Popular pizzas at this time included the “Marinara,” made with tomato, oregano, garlic, and olive oil. Some pizzas were even sweet until the late 1800s. Old cookbooks, like Pellegrino Artusi’s, at first only had sweet pizza recipes. Later editions began to include savory types similar to what we eat now.

The Royal Story and Pizza Margherita

One famous story (though its truth is debated) says that in 1889, when King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples, they wanted to try local food instead of fancy French meals. Baker Raffaele Esposito made three pizzas for them, including one with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to match Italy’s flag colors. This pizza, named “Margherita” after the queen, is still a symbol of classic Neapolitan pizza. While some details may be more legend than fact, the Margherita stays popular and celebrated.

When Was the First Pizzeria Opened?

The shift from street vendors to official pizzerias turned pizza into a sit-down meal experience, helping Naples become known as the real home of pizza.

The First Pizza Restaurants in Naples

The first restaurant where people could sit and eat pizza was Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, opened in 1830. Before this, pizzas were mostly eaten on the go. Soon after, Mattozzi (opened in 1833) also started serving pizzas. These pizzerias started a new trend, providing a social place to eat pizza, and the number of pizzeria businesses grew quickly.

How Did Pizza Spread Worldwide?

For a long time, pizza was mostly eaten in Naples. Its journey around the world started with Italians moving to new countries, especially the United States, where pizza took off and developed new styles.

Pizza in the U.S.A.

Pizza came to the United States with Italian immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many Italian Americans made pizza at home or sold it in their neighborhoods. The first U.S. pizzeria, Lombardi’s, opened in New York City in 1905. Gennaro Lombardi, its founder, sold “tomato pies” to factory workers, and soon other pizzerias followed, like Totonno’s in Coney Island (1924), and Joe’s Tomato Pies and Papa’s Tomato Pies in New Jersey. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in Connecticut (1925) became famous for its clam pie.

At first, pizza in the U.S. was mainly eaten by Italian Americans. After World War II, American soldiers who tried pizza in Italy wanted more when they returned home, leading to a pizza craze. By the 1950s, pizza was a popular fast food, and chains like Shakey’s (1954), Pizza Hut (1958), and Little Caesars (1959) expanded across the country. Today, pizza is a favorite food in the U.S.; on any given day, 13% of people there eat pizza.

Pizza’s Spread to Other Countries

Once pizza grew popular in America, it began spreading to other nations. For example, Canada’s first pizzeria opened in Montreal in 1948, and the dish soon spread across the country. “Canadian” pizza often includes pepperoni, mushrooms, and bacon, and in Quebec, pizza and spaghetti are sometimes served together as “Pizza-ghetti.” Major chains like Pizza Hut and Domino’s are now common, too.

Pizza has also become very popular in Argentina, where there are more pizza restaurants per person than anywhere else. Argentine pizza is known for its thick base and is often eaten with chickpea pancakes called “fainá.” In other places, pizza is topped based on local tastes-Gouda cheese is common in Curaçao, while Brazilians may use hardboiled eggs.

How Has Pizza Changed Over Time?

Types of Pizza by Region

• Neapolitan: Soft, thin base, simple toppings, cooked in wood-fired ovens.
• Roman: Thinner, crispier than Neapolitan.
• Sicilian: Thick crust, more like focaccia, often baked in a pan.
• New York-style: Big, thin slices, easy to fold, topped with mozzarella.
• Chicago deep-dish: High, crunchy sides, lots of toppings, baked in a pan.
• Detroit-style: Rectangular, thick and airy, cheese on the edges.
• California-style: Unusual toppings like BBQ chicken or smoked salmon.
• Canadian pizza: Usually has pepperoni, mushroom, and bacon.
• Argentinian pizza: Thick dough, sometimes with chickpea pancake (“fainá”).

Other similar dishes from different countries include French flammkuchen, German zwiebelkuchen, Turkish pide, and more. These all use toppings on dough, but each place uses its own ingredients and style.

Common Myths About Pizza’s Past

Did Pizza Come From Outside Italy?

Some people think modern pizza started outside Italy because many old cultures used flatbreads with toppings. While true, those dishes did not use tomatoes, and their dough and methods were different. Modern pizza, with tomato sauce and cheese on a risen dough, definitely started in Naples.

Another legend says Raffaele Esposito invented Pizza Margherita in 1889 for the queen. Records actually show pizzas with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil were already popular before then. The Esposito story likely became well-known much later as a way to promote pizza. Still, Margherita pizza has become a symbol of Italy and is loved by many.

Pizza Origin: Quick Questions and Answers

Who Made Pizza First?

No single person “invented” pizza. Flatbreads with toppings were made by many different people in different countries thousands of years ago. For the pizza we know today-with tomato and cheese-credit goes to the people of Naples, who slowly added new ingredients and methods over hundreds of years. While some names, like Raffaele Esposito, are linked to special pizza types, it was a group effort over time that made pizza what it is today.