The history of Pizza

Calzone, Prosciutto o Margherita? The choice is as big and individual as its consumers. Most people would probably count a good pizza to one of their favourite dishes but how did it all start?

The origins of this popular dish lie within various ancient cultures who started producing basic flatbreads with several toppings. The focaccia was probably the precursor of pizza, a flatbread to which toppings were later added.

Up until World War II, Pizza was mainly eaten in Italy and by Italians who emigrated from there. This changed when Allied troops stationed in Italy got to try and enjoy it, too, alongside other Italian specialties.

An often told story is the one of the "Pizza Margherita" which was supposedly named after the queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, by the Italian pizza maker Raaffaele Esposito. The pizza's toppings tomatoes, mozzarella and basil are meant to represent the national colours which can be seen on the Italian flag.

Pizza evolved into a variety of bread and tomato dish mostly served with cheese. However, until the late 19th or early 20th century, the dish not savory, but sweet!

Today, this simple but very tasty dish is being made and served all over the world. Some families outside of Italy even have their own pizza ovens now and invite over neighbours and friends to enjoy the taste of Italy together!