Exploring the Traditional Italian Pizza Culture

One of Italy’s world-renowned specialties, made by skilled hands: the art of Neapolitan ‘pizzaiolo’ has achieved UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity status.

No doubt, pizza is one of the world’s favorite foods, but above all, it is one of the most beloved and delicious of all Italian national dishes. In fact, an estimated one million pizzas are eaten in Italy every day, and at least one of the countless pizzerias across Bel Paese is a mandatory stop for visitors to the country. Savoring this delicacy while admiring a magnificent panorama – whether in Capri’s Piazzetta or in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius in Naples, on a side street in Rome, or in one of the ancient villages of the south – is priceless. And travelers to the peninsula are unlikely to enjoy such an experience. This delicious dish is easily portable while traveling.

A wise man once said, “You can’t please everyone. You’re not pizza.” And it’s true—how could any mortal hope to compare? It has universal appeal. It’s simple. It’s okay. It’s comforting. It’s iconic. It hits the spot, and it serves as a cheesy canvas for your culinary imagination. And pizza has a long history, which means it’s as timeless as civilization.

History of Pizza:

Initiative concept of pizza:

Pizza has been around since ancient times, but its cultural significance has changed over time. American pizza was preceded by Italian pizza, which was the flat, round bread with toppings that people ate in ancient Rome and Greece. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of ground to cover between the simple flatbreads eaten before the time of Jesus and the pepperoni slices served at Chuck E. Cheese, but it’s worth the journey.

Roman Pizza:

Roman pizza is another ancestor of pizza, and it also comes from the Roman Empire. For those of you who thought the Romans only ate bunches of grapes while lounging on tricliniums (yes, that kind of sofa), you should know that Roman gastronomy has a lot of substance, like a good pizza recipe. At first, though, the pizza’s main purpose was to hold food on a tray. Eventually, it became the crunchy and spongy dish we know today with its simple oval shape. It’s hard to believe, but pizza and its ancestors weren’t always a staple on the table.

Pizza in Naples:

In fact, the rebirth of pizza occurred in Naples. The history of pizza takes us to the south of Europe. However, the most likely thing that happened was that pizza recovered and became popular with the working and poor classes, as we enjoy most of the food these days. Hunger increases creativity. We travel to the XVIII century, and pizza already has one of the most iconic ingredients: tomato sauce. This ingredient did not exist in Europe until the conquistadors brought it from America in the XVI century. Pizza was cheap, street food, but filling and nutritious. The first pizza restaurant opened in Naples around 1831 and is still open today.

The popular Pizza Margherita is named after Queen Margherita of Italy, who visited Pizzeria Brandi in Naples in 1889. The pizzaiolo (pizza maker) in charge that day, Rafael Esposito, made a pizza for the Queen that featured the three colors of the new Italian flag. Tomato red, mozzarella white, and fresh green basil were a hit with the Queen and the rest of the world. Neapolitan-style pizza has now spread throughout Italy, and each region has begun to design its own version based on Italian culinary rules of fresh, local ingredients.

Globalization of pizza:

Pizza began its global journey primarily with waves of Italian immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As Italians set up homes and businesses in the United States, they brought their culinary traditions with them, including pizza. However, it wasn’t until after World War II, when American soldiers returned from Italy with a taste for pizza, that pizza truly began to globalize.

Fun facts about pizza:

• An airport pizza restaurant in Alaska can deliver your pizza on the plane.

• Hawaiian pizza doesn’t come from Hawaii. A Canadian from Ontario made it.

• About 5 billion pizzas are sold worldwide each year.

• The ingredients of a pizza may vary from country to country. We can find pizza with kangaroo and emu (Australia), eel and mayonnaise (Japan), peas (Brazil), an egg in the middle (France), or coconut (Costa Rica).

• Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, ate pizza in 1831 and didn’t like it very much. He described it as “the most nauseating species of cake (…) covered with slices of tomato and sprinkled with small fish and black pepper and I don’t know other ingredients, all together looking like a piece of bread that has been reeking from the gutter.” A hater was born.