Pizza

Pizza is a tasty and popular food enjoyed all over the world. It began as a simple Italian dish made from a flat base of wheat-based dough. It is topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, then baked at high heat, often in a wood-fired oven.

The word "pizza" was first written down in the year AD 997 in a Latin manuscript from the town of Gaeta in southern Italy. The modern version of pizza was created by Raffaele Esposito in Naples. In 2009, Neapolitan pizza was named a protected traditional food by the European Union. In 2017, the skill of making Neapolitan pizza was named a valuable part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.

Today, pizza comes in many flavors and is sold in many ways — in restaurants called pizzerias, at Mediterranean restaurants, delivered to homes, and even as street food. In Italy, restaurant pizzas are sometimes cut with a knife and fork, but most people eat them by hand. You can also buy frozen pizza or pizza-making kits at grocery stores to cook at home. Pizza is a big business.

Etymology

The word pizza was first written down in May 997 AD in a Latin document from the town of Gaeta. The document said a tenant would give the bishop twelve pizzas and other foods each year.

There are a few ideas about where the word pizza comes from. One idea links it to the word pitta, a round flat bread from ancient times. Another idea connects it to the Latin word pinsere, meaning "to pound or stamp". Another idea ties it to an old German word for "mouthful". Over time, the word pizza moved from Italian to English and became popular in the 1930s. Before that, people in English-speaking countries often called pizza "tomato pie".

History

Main article: History of pizza

People have eaten flatbreads with toppings for thousands of years. Ancient soldiers and Greeks liked flatbread with cheese, dates, oils, and herbs. A very old story from the Aeneid mentions round cakes with vegetables.

The word "pizza" was first written down in 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy. Modern pizza started in Naples, Italy, in the 1700s or early 1800s. Tomatoes were added later, after they came to Europe.

A famous story says that in 1889, Raffaele Esposito made a special pizza for Queen Margherita with red tomato, white mozzarella, and green basil to look like the Italian flag. Though this story might not be completely true, many people love it.

Italian immigrants brought pizza to the United States in the late 1800s. The first pizzeria in the U.S., Lombardi's, opened in New York City in 1905. Today, pizza is eaten all over the world.

Preparation

Pizza can be sold fresh or frozen. It can come whole or in smaller pieces called portion-size slices. In the United States, some stores sell pizza that people can bake at home in their own ovens. Others sell just the dough and ingredients so people can make pizza themselves.

When making pizza, the dough is first kneaded and then left to rise. It is stretched into the right shape and then placed in an oven to cook. Some pizzas are frozen and can be baked later at home. In restaurants, pizza is often baked in special ovens, sometimes using wood or coal. At home, people can use a regular oven or even a grill. The crust can be thin or thick, and it is often topped with mozzarella cheese and many other ingredients.

Varieties and styles

Main article: List of pizza varieties by country

Many types of pizza exist. They differ in toppings, crust, or how they are made. Pizza styles are often named after the places where they became popular, especially in North America, such as New York–style pizza.

In Italy, Neapolitan pizza is famous for using San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala campana cheese. Sicilian pizza is a thick or deep-dish style that started in Sicily during the 1600s. Other Italian styles include pizza marinara and pizza capricciosa.

In the United States, many pizza styles developed, such as Chicago deep-dish, New York thin crust, and California styles. Common toppings include pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and ham. Pizza is very popular, with many people eating it daily. Big pizza companies like Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's make pizza easy to find.

In Argentina, pizza is a big part of the culture, especially in Buenos Aires. The most common style is pizza de molde, which has a thick, spongy base. Argentine pizza often includes toppings like longaniza, ham, and bell peppers.

Some people enjoy dessert pizzas, such as chocolate pizza or fruit pizza, which are like regular pizza but with sweet toppings.

Nutrition

Many mass-produced pizzas from American pizza chains can be unhealthy. They often have a lot of salt and fat, and many calories. The USDA says a typical 14-inch pizza from a fast-food place has a lot of sodium.

Similar dishes

Many foods around the world are like pizza. Calzone and stromboli are made from pizza dough folded or rolled with fillings inside. Focaccia is a flat Italian bread very much like pizza, sometimes called "white pizza." İçli pide, often called "Turkish pizza," has wheat dough topped with tomato, cheese, and more.

Other dishes include Khachapuri, a Georgian bread filled with cheese, and Lahmacun, a thin flatbread from the Middle East topped with meat and vegetables. Okonomiyaki from Japan is sometimes called "Japanese pizza" and is cooked on a hotplate. Matzah pizza is a pizza made with Jewish matzah bread.