Who Invented Pizza?

Many foods have come to us down through the ages, but none have such broad appeal as pizza. By some estimates, every man, woman and child in America eats an average of 46 slices of pizza each year. If you take into consideration the population of the United States, that amounts to about 13.8 billion pieces of pizza eaten every year, just in the United States.

So, who invented pizza? Reports from ancient times indicate that the first record of a pizza-like food is from approximately 500 BC. The Phoenicians were reported to bake bread on the surface of their shields and top it with dates and cheese. Shortly thereafter, historically speaking of course, are reports that the Romans also ate this type of bread and cheese combination when conquering the world.

The only other report and evidence of pizza in the first century AD comes from the ruins of Pompeii in Italy. The excavation of the ruins revealed a shop in which the kitchen cooking items found suggest the shop was a pizzeria. The shop was equipped with a marble table and other utensils that are considered tools of the trade. The nearby city of Naples also reports of a rudimentary pizza being widely eaten by the citizens of the two cities.

What Is Pizza?

The basics of a pizza include bread topped with various items for flavor and baked in the oven. Most often, these “pies” include cheese melted over the top.

Changes to Pizza

Refinement of the process of pizza making and in the selection of items as ingredients continued to progress and mainly depended on the ingredients that were available in the region the pizza was cooked.

The next major leap in the development of pizza occurred in the 15th century when the tomato made its appearance in Spain and Italy.  It was brought back from the New World on one of the returning explorer’s ships.

Those in Naples grew quickly established themselves as the makers of the best pizzas in all of Italy. During the Middle Ages, there are various reports of pizza being the favorite food of both rich and poor at this time, and Naples continued to grow in its popularity and reputation surrounding the pizza.

The Margherita Pizza

In 1889, the King and Queen of Italy were staying at their summer home in Naples. They were curious about the pizza Naples was famous for. They summoned a local pizza maker to their palace to prepare three samples of the dish. He prepared them and they were declared delicious.

In fact, the Queen especially liked the pie made with cheese, tomato and basil. The ingredients of the pizza having the colors that identify with the flag of Italy. In her honor, the pizza was named after her, the Margherita pizza. This was the first occasion that the dish was called "pizza."

Pizza in the US

Pizza migrated to the United States with the Italian immigrants in the last half of the 19th century. Street vendors were soon seen on the streets of New York selling pizza to the workers. In 1905, the first pizzeria in America opened on 53 1/3 Spring Ave in New York. By the 1940s, Chicago obtained a taste of pizza and had developed their own version of the famous dish. Following WWII, the soldiers returning home from Naples and the surrounding areas brought with them their affection for pizza. The demand for pizza sharply increased.

Since WWII, pizza has arguably become America’s favorite snack or food for a meal. Social events seem to gather around a pizza and develop into a party. The pizza has a long history and it has spread to countries around the world. Its exact look and taste has changed over the years and centuries; but, no matter how it has changed, you will now always know who invented pizza. You can astound your friends at your next social event around a pizza with some handy pizza trivia.