Whether you’re a thin crust fan or a deep dish enthusiast, I’m sure we can all agree on one thing — pizza is love. Pizza can be totally non-discriminatory, (gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, etc.), it’s compatible with just about any pairing (ranch, anyone?), and it’s open minded about its toppings (hello, pineapples and bacon). There’s a topping, sauce or style for everyone. So, we should absolutely give it the praise and respect it deserves.
Pizza is one of the most widely eaten and most popular fast foods in the world. Traditional pizza originated in Naples, Italy as a flatbread that is covered in tomato sauce and topped with shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese baked in an oven until the dough is browned and the cheese has melted.
The earliest forms of flatbread, date from early Neolithic nomads, who gathered wild grains, soaked or boiled, mashed and then baked them on a hot stone over an open fire. Around 1,000 B.C.E. the Etruscans of Northern Italy added oil and herbs to their baked flatbreads and often used them in lieu of plates. The Greeks, instead of adding toppings to already baked bread, placed ingredients such as oil, garlic, onions, and herbs on the raw dough before baking. Other Greek improvements included kneading the dough and adding yeast as a leavening agent. The Romans later added cheese to their flatbread. But it was the Neapolitans who added the New World ingredient most commonly associated with pizza today — the tomato.
