Pizza is a favorite dish of millions. It has more than a thousand years of history. Historians still debate who created pizza. Today pizza is considered an Italian dish, but it wasn’t always so.
Who invented the most popular dish
Even ancient man used a stone and coals to bake tortillas. This recipe was used by all people of the Mediterranean. Later, they began to use olive oil, sprinkle the flatbread with herbs and finely chopped vegetables. It was also used as a plate, making it an important dish for those working in the fields or traveling.
The yeast sourdough flatbreads baked in ancient Egypt are considered the official prototype of modern pizza. There is evidence that in the 5th century warriors baked tortillas filled with dates and cheese. The Greeks borrowed this recipe, and then it came to Rome. And this is where the official history of pizza began. A pizza similar to modern one was first prepared in ancient Greece. Raw dough was rolled out in the form of a flatbread, poured with olive, filled with greens, vegetables, and cheese, and baked. This dish was called “plakuntos”. It was mentioned in Plato’s chronicles, where he mentioned that it was served at a feast.
Initially, people considered pizza to be the food of the poor. They took it to work in the field, it was cooked quickly, well satiated and gave the opportunity to quickly gain strength. Any available products were used for cooking. However, later historians discovered that the dish was also popular among the wealthy. For them the recipe was slightly different, but the appearance and basic ingredients remained the same. This dish in the villages of Italy was called “focaccia”.
Pepperoni Pizza
Pizza as we know it today appeared in the early 15th century. At that time, tomatoes were introduced to Europe. At first, people thought this vegetable was a poison. And for a very long time rich people did not eat it. However, the poor used tomatoes very widely and soon began to add it to the pizza filling. In the 17th century, the dish consisted of dough rolled into thin tortillas, drizzled with olive oil and stuffed with tomatoes, bacon, cheese, and spicy herbs. It was prepared by special cooks who were called “pizzaioli”. In those days, pizza was made early in the morning because it was popular with sailors who would return home late in the evening and buy it. And around that time fresh seafood began to be added to the toppings.
Since the formation of Italy as a single state, pizza has become popular not only in Naples, but throughout the country. Each region had its own special recipe. For example, the distinctive feature of Roman pizza was the thin, crispy dough, while the flatbread of Neapolitan pizza was crumbly and soft. At the end of the 19th century, the dish gained popularity throughout whole Italy, especially among the wealthy. New recipes were developed. Today, pizza is an affordable and beloved dish all over the world.