Pizza is far more than the Dominos fast food we know today. photo by Peter DiFalco
A brief and concise history of a crowd favorite shareable meal.
When one thinks of American food, one of the first things that comes to mind is pizza. The grease and cheese certainly make it fit right in with the rest of our “American” staples. However, in actuality, pizza originated halfway around the world and centuries before the United States as we know it was even founded.
The term “pizza” didn’t used to mean the beloved flat-bread that we know today. In 997 CE, the word was used to describe a form of payment. According to Latin texts originating in ancient Italy, tenants had to pay “pizze” to the Bishop for annual taxes. It is also said to stem from the Latin word “pinsare,” which means to flatten out or pound something. This definition makes more sense for what we know the word to mean now, and it is likely that the mentions in 997 CE were using a variation of the term pinsare and not referring to the flat-bread itself. Clearly, the word has changed definition dramatically throughout history.
Not just the word has changed, though; pizza has gone through many variations before becoming what we know and love today. According to Voyager Press, Persian soldiers were making flat pizza with cheese and dates as far back as the 6th century. They would bake the bread with the toppings over their circular shields and eat it during war times. Ancient Mediterranean people were baking similar breads such as focaccia that might have changed shape to become similar to pizza as well.
More mentions from the Mediterranean world come from Athenaeus of Naucratis, a grammarian who brought up different topping combinations invented by the Greeks. These include combos like cheese, herbs, onions, and garlic which made up a more savory flavor profile. Another recipe included a more flour-based dough with oil, cheese, and honey on top. Most recipes also included dates, especially in earlier versions. These dishes were eaten at feasts and sometimes even used as sacrificial offerings to the gods.
In 16th century Naples, the word pizza was first directly connected to the meaning it has today. Pizzas were a peasant dish eaten on the streets as a quick meal option for those who didn’t have access to ingredients. However, when the Spanish brought tomatoes from the new world of the Americas, everything changed. Tomatoes were common on pizzas from that point on, sometimes mashed or just sliced and laid upon the bread. People will often retell the tale of the pizza maker Raffaele Esposito famously gifting the Margherita pizza to the queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. However, historians are not sure that this legend is true. Accounts of margherita pizzas existed before the events took place, and there is no evidence of this exchange in recorded media. Whether or not you believe this story, pizza with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves is still common in households today.
For most of history up until the 19th century, these savory flatbreads were mostly confined to Italy and Mediterranean cuisine. When Italians began immigrating to the United States, they brought their traditional dishes with them. At that time in history, most cultures did not attempt to integrate their foods, and pizza was almost exclusively eaten by Italian Americans. World War Two changed things, however, as soldiers were exposed to other foods from around the world. By 1950, pizza became a popular food for most cultures on the east coast, and it was further popularized by an episode of I Love Lucy, which featured the dish.
Today, there are many different kinds of pizza depending on where you look. New York pizza differs from the traditional Italian dish because of its thinner crust and more pureed tomato sauce. It also features different kinds of cheese other than the traditional mozzarella used in Italy. Another variation that is popular is Deep Dish pizza, which is shaped more like a pie, with the crust coming up the sides in order to contain the amount of sauce that is used to fill the interior. Detroit style pizza is also a favorite, with its square shape and bread-like dough. Crusts on or off, thin crust or thick, pizza is no longer the peasant streetfood staple, or the wartime ration. It has united people across cultures and continents. Whichever kind of pizza you prefer, it is important to know the roots of where it came from and who we can thank for this delicious household and fast food staple.
