Pizza as food has led to world domination. There are so many variations, that it is quite baffling. Each region has its favourites, secret recipes and a cult way of enjoying it. But this global favourite has its roots going back to the 1850s. And it went through many tests to be able to become what it is today. The history of pizza dates back to Naples, where it was discovered in a euphoric moment for the first time. The ancient roots of it had to first seek a royal seal of approval to be able to reach our tables.
This history of culinary migration has gone through stages. Pizza was eaten in many ways throughout the time. In the earliest times, it was eaten in the shape of a flatbread topped with some savoury for people who couldn’t afford a plate. It saved time, and cutlery and could be eaten as it is. Plus it added a quirky charm that one could eat their plates away.
If you come to the original form, let’s travel a bit up to Naples, Italy, which is the home of the original Neapolitan pizza – The Margherita. Let’s zoom out and seek what time and stage we are talking about. Under the rule of the Bourbon kings, Naples had become a large city, it was a cultural and economic centre. But with that came a plummeting population and gripping poverty that was struggling to stay put in this economic capital. Therefore the need to eat something that was cheap, quick, and easy to eat was the need of the hour. And then the pizza was conceptualized. Due to its low cost and cheap ingredients, it was looked down upon by the culinary elitists. This is where the history of pizza began.
The Turning Point:
The scorn ended shortly after the unification. When French food was mainly considered elite, refined, and fit for royals. King Umberto, I and Queen Margherita were growing tired and bored of the food which was served to them. They were desperate to look for options and have something different. The need of the hour required the court to summon a local pizzaiolo named Rafaelle Esposito. He was required to come up with a local delicacy and this man changed the face of our dinner tables as well! He came up with three versions of the pizza, the last of which included tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. The Queen was delighted by it and it came to be famously known as the “Margherita Pizza“.
The royal approval means that it was now not only fit for the royals, they no longer had to hide their joy in this delicacy. So the Pizza made its successful journey from being a scorned food for the poor to something that had reached the royal menu. Now that is the sign of a hero right there! Did you imagine your favourite food had to make quite a journey to be able to reach you through a local food delivery service?
Pizza Moves to the West:
This history of Pizza has a lot more turns to take. It still took a couple of years to be able to move out of Naples. It was much later in the 1930s that the Neapolitans started moving Northwards in search of work. And with the soon-to-begin war, the allies took their cuisine with them and it got popularized much more widely.
And with the reduced travel post-war, Pizza was truly Italian food. This national symbolism of the food and the country rests to date. In fact, the Margherita pizza comprises three colours white, red and green – which also coincidentally are the colours of the Italian flag!
America: Pizza’s Second Home:
Millions of pizzas are consumed in America each year, and 41% of Americans eat pizza every week. Now how did this come to being? Italian immigrants reached the East Coast around the early 20th century.
When Lombardi’s opened, as the first Pizzeria in New York, it couldn’t have imagined that this would be the beginning of an institution.
The history of pizza is no less than a tale of heroism, travel, fighting economies and prejudices and eventually coming out victorious. It is a battle won every day on our plates and in our hearts as Pizza continues to be a global favourite and a first choice when it comes to online food delivery. So what are you thinking? Are you too wondering that a regular staple in your diet actually has a story of its own, and one that has passed ages and stages to be where it is now? So wait no more, pick up your phone and get a home pizza delivery service to send you your favourite or get in the kitchen and jazz up your favourite recipe! Bon appetit!
