The Tasty Food Guide
Tasty Trivia:
Q: What are the origins of pizza?
A: To say that pizza was “invented” is an oversimplification. Actually, it is more accurate to say that pizza has evolved from something with ancient origins into the modern form you enjoy today. According to numerous historical accounts, legends and theories, the whole pizza idea really got rolling with the Greeks. They ate a baked flatbread with various toppings called plankuntos. The flatbread was adapted from the Babylonians or Egyptians, but the Greeks are generally cited as the first to add toppings to it, using it as a sort of bread plate. My seventh grade world history teacher once told us that the Greeks created pizza out of well, necessity. Seems the more wealthy folks spent a lot of time lounging on these low daybed sort of couches, which they didn’t like to leave, even to eat. Eating required sitting fully upright which they were not inclined to do. The solution was this: a servant placed the various food items of the meal on top of the piece of round flatbread that would normally accompany the meal. Next, a low table was placed next to the couch at roughly mouth height; the flatbread with the meal on top of it was then placed on the table. They would then simply slide the “pizza” off the edge close to their mouth and take a bite. So, as it turns out the Greeks invented democracy, the prototype for modern pizza and the first convenience food!
Eventually however, those clever Italians took the idea and perfected it into the modern day pizza, which is loved almost universally. The flatbread concept had over the years spread to other Mediterranean areas including Italy where it had taken the form of something resembling a focaccia. Around the 16th century, Spaniards brought the tomato to Italy. The people of Naples developed an affinity for the “love pples”, becoming the first Italians to whole heartedly incorporate them into their cuisine. Then in the 18th century, buffalo mozzarella also made its way over to Italy. In 1830, the world’s first true pizzeria opened in Naples (which by the way is still open and serving pizza to this day!) Around 1871, all these elements combined to make the true modern pizza in the form of Pizza alla Margherita, created for Princess Margherita of Savioa. Tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil leaves constituted the toppings which were chosen to honor the new flag of Italy which is red, green and white. The Pizza alla Margherita became popular and was eventually brought to the shores of America by brave Neapolitans in search of a better life. In 1905, Gennaro Lombardi was issued the first license to sell pizzas in the United States and began selling them at his grocery on Spring Street in New York City. The Lombardi family are still on Spring Street selling pizzas. After that, the pizza caught on in the east coast and gradually began its westward expansion and is now enjoyed everywhere in America.
So there you have it in a nutshell-the origins of pizza. Next time you find yourself taking a bite of that hot, cheesy, gooey delight from your favorite pizza place, take a moment to pay homage to those inventive and ingenious Greeks and Italians who developed what may be the world’s most loved food. Oh, and don’t forget those Babylonians and Egyptians either. It all had to start somewhere!