Pizza has a long history.Flatbreads with toppings were consumed by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. (The latter ate a version with herbs and oil, similar to today’s focaccia.) But the modern birthplace of pizza is southwestern Italy's Campania region, home to the city of Naples.
Founded around 600 B.C. as a Greek settlement, Naples in the 1700s and early 1800s was a thriving waterfront city. Technically an independent kingdom, it was notorious for its throngs of working poor, or lazzaroni. “The closer you got to the bay, the denser their population and much of their living was done outdoors, sometimes in homes that were little more than a room,” says Carol Helstosky, author of Pizza: A Global History and associate professor of history at the University of Denver.
These Neapolitans required inexpensive food that could be consumed quickly. Pizza—flatbreads with various toppings, eaten for any meal and sold by street vendors or informal restaurants—met this need. “Judgmental Italian authors often called their eating habits ‘disgusting,’” Helstosky notes. These early pizzas consumed by Naples’ poor featured the tasty garnishes beloved today, such as tomatoes, cheese, oil, anchovies and garlic.
Italy unified in 1861, and King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889. Legend has it that the traveling pair became bored with their steady diet of French haute cuisine and asked for an assortment of pizzas from the city’s Pizzeria Brandi, the successor to Da Pietro pizzeria, founded in 1760. The variety the queen enjoyed most was called pizza mozzarella, a pie topped with soft white cheese, red tomatoes and green basil. (Perhaps it was no coincidence that her favorite pie featured the colors of the Italian flag.) From then on, the story goes, that particular topping combination was dubbed pizza Margherita.
Queen Margherita’s blessing could have been the start of an Italy-wide pizza craze. But pizza would remain little known in Italy beyond Naples’ bordersuntil the 1940s.
An ocean away, though, immigrants to the United States from Naples were replicating their trusty, crusty pizzas in New York and other American cities, including Trenton, New Haven, Boston, Chicago and St. Louis. The Neapolitans were coming for factory jobs, as did millions of Europeans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; they weren’t seeking to make a culinary statement. But relatively quickly, the flavors and aromas of pizza began to intrigue non-Neapolitans and non-Italians.
One of the first documented United States pizzerias was G. (for Gennaro) Lombardi’s on Spring Street in Manhattan, licensed to sell pizza in 1905. (Prior to that, the dish was homemade or purveyed by unlicensed vendors.) Lombardi’s, still in operation today though no longer at its 1905 location, “has the same oven as it did originally,” notes food critic John Mariani, author of How Italian Food Conquered the World.
Debates over the finest slice in town can be heated, as any pizza fan knows. But Mariani credited three East Coast pizzerias with continuing to churn out pies in the century-old tradition: Totonno’s (Coney Island, Brooklyn, opened 1924); Mario’s (Arthur Avenue, the Bronx, opened 1919); and Pepe’s (New Haven, opened 1925).
As Italian Americans, and their food, migrated from city to suburb, east to west, especially after World War II, pizza’s popularity in the United States boomed. No longer seen as an “ethnic” treat, it was increasingly identified as fast, fun food. Regional, decidedly non-Neapolitan variations emerged, eventually including California-gourmet pizzas topped with anything from barbecued chicken to smoked salmon.
Postwar pizza finally reached Italy and beyond. “Like blue jeans and rock and roll, the rest of the world, including the Italians, picked up on pizza just because it was American,” explains Mariani.
Today international outposts of American chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut thrive in about 60 different countries.Reflecting local tastes, global pizza toppings can run the gamut from Gouda cheese in Curaçao to hardboiled eggs in Brazil.
As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the world of culinary history, particularly the evolution of pizza, I bring forth a wealth of knowledge on the subject. My understanding is not merely academic but stems from a genuine passion for exploring the roots and cultural transformations of this beloved dish. I have delved into the intricacies of pizza's origin, its journey through time and space, and the fascinating interplay between regional influences and global acceptance.
The historical narrative of pizza unfolds with ancient roots, as flatbreads with toppings were relished by civilizations such as the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. However, the modern cradle of pizza lies in the Campania region of southwestern Italy, notably Naples, a city founded around 600 B.C. Naples, in the 1700s and early 1800s, was a bustling waterfront city, and its working-class population sought quick and inexpensive meals. This laid the foundation for the development of pizza—flatbreads adorned with various toppings, catering to the needs of the lazzaroni, the working poor.
I draw upon the insights of Carol Helstosky, an authority on pizza's global history and an associate professor of history at the University of Denver. Her observations shed light on the early pizzas consumed by Naples' poor, featuring toppings like tomatoes, cheese, oil, anchovies, and garlic—elements that continue to define the pizza we know today.
The pivotal moment in pizza's history occurs in 1889 when King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Italy visit Naples. Legend has it that they grew tired of French haute cuisine and turned to the city's Pizzeria Brandi for a variety of pizzas. The queen's favorite, adorned with white cheese, red tomatoes, and green basil, was named pizza Margherita, possibly inspired by the colors of the Italian flag. This royal endorsem*nt marked a turning point, propelling pizza to potential nationwide fame in Italy.
However, the real surge in pizza's popularity outside Naples happened in the United States, where immigrants from Naples brought their culinary traditions to cities like New York, Trenton, New Haven, Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis in the early 20th century. The emergence of pizzerias, including G. Lombardi's in Manhattan (licensed in 1905), played a crucial role. Noteworthy East Coast pizzerias like Totonno's, Mario's, and Pepe's maintained the century-old tradition, contributing to the widespread appeal of pizza.
The post-World War II era saw pizza's transformation from an "ethnic" treat to a fast and fun food that transcended cultural boundaries. The migration of Italian Americans and their culinary heritage across the United States fueled pizza's popularity. The global dissemination of American culture, including pizza, became a phenomenon, with international outposts of chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut thriving in numerous countries.
Pizza's universal adaptability is evident in the diverse toppings found worldwide, ranging from Gouda cheese in Curaçao to hardboiled eggs in Brazil. This evolution reflects not only the influence of Italian traditions but also the dynamic fusion of local flavors and preferences. As an enthusiast immersed in the details of pizza's journey, I present a comprehensive perspective on its rich history and global significance.
