Who Invented Pizza? Why is pizza called "Margherita"? History of pizza. The history of pizza: how the edible symbol of Italy appeared

Pizza (Italian pizza)- Italian national dish in the form of a round open tortilla, covered in the classic version with tomatoes and melted cheese (usually mozzarella). The professional name for such fillings is topping. One of the most popular dishes in the world.

How did pizza come about?

If someone ever had the question “how did pizza come about”, then, most likely, like most people, this someone decided that it was pure italian dish and it was invented in Italy. However, it is not. Pizza, like many dishes, was not first invented in the country to whose national cuisine it now belongs, that is, Italy.

The prerequisites for the appearance of pizza can be seen in the Ancient Greeks, who first began to bake large, round and flat bread, which they generously oiled, seasoned with spices, herbs and all kinds of dishes. In those distant times, tomatoes were not yet discovered, or more likely, they were simply not used in cooking.

In the 18th century, the idea of flat bread came to Italy. On the streets and markets of the city, cakes called "Pizzas" began to be sold. These cakes were flat bread, without any seasonings and toppings. Since they were very cheap, tasty and satisfying, they were mainly popular among the poor of Naples. The appearance of tomatoes among the Neapolitans and the visit of the queen to the streets of the city contributed to the emergence of the very pizza that everyone knows and loves today!

In 1889, Queen Margherita, accompanied by her husband King Umberto I, toured her kingdom of Italy. During her travels in Italy, she saw many people, especially peasants, who ate these large and flat cakes with pleasure. The queen ordered one of these cakes to be brought to her. It is said that Queen Margherita was a great lover of bread. However, she ate it alone, as it was indecent for the queen to consume "peasant food". Therefore, in front of the people, she did not dare to try the cake.

However, the queen was very fond of bread, and her desire to try the cake surpassed her so much that she decided to invite the chef Rafael Esposito to the palace. Queen Margherita ordered him to bake. The chef tried so hard to please the queen that he prepared a special pizza for her. Tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese and fresh basil were used in this pizza, which completely repeated the colors of the Italian flag: white, red and green.

According to legend, this special pizza surpassed all expectations of the queen and became her favorite. She even allowed to call it by her own name - Pizza Margherita, thereby laying the foundation for a whole culinary tradition that has spread and become popular all over the world to this day. There is a legend that in this way Queen Margarita tried to get closer to the people.

History does not know whether the chef Raphael began to sell his creation to the masses, but it is known that pizza in the form that is now known, spread among the Italian people. Different types of pizza began to appear in different parts of Italy. In Bologna, for example, they began to add meat to pizza. Neapolitan pizza with garlic, crumbly Neapolitan cheese, herbs, fresh vegetables and spices has gained particular popularity. By this time, the idea of baking pizza in special brick ovens appeared. And pizza dough, like today, consisted of flour, vegetable oil, salt and yeast.

Pizza began to spread throughout America, France, England and Spain, but it really became popular in these countries only after the Second World War. While occupying Italian territories, many American and European soldiers tasted pizza for the first time. It was love at first bite!

Today you can find many variations of pizza, both in shape and filling. For example, in addition to round pizza, there is also square pizza – Sicilian pizza with anchovies. Exists pizza "envelope" - calzone. One of the traditional ingredients for calzone is the traditional Italian dairy product ricotto.

Some interesting facts about pizza

- exists today International Pizza Day which is celebrated on February 9th.
On this day, all pizzerias try to surprise their guests with something special. And this is a real holiday, because. Plus, it’s not necessary to go for your favorite pie on your own when free pizza delivery works everywhere. Very comfortably!

- In the Guinness Book of Records, several of the largest pizzas in the world have been repeatedly recorded:

The largest round pizza was baked on December 8, 1990 in a Norwood hypermarket (South Africa). Its diameter was 37.4 meters, and its preparation took: 4500 kg of flour, 90 kg of salt, 900 kg of tomato puree and 1800 kg of cheese! The African pizza was only 3.5 meters in diameter larger than its predecessor, a pizza baked by Pizza Hut in Singapore in 1990.

longest pizza was taken in Israel on November 3, 2003. Its length was 100 meters. Pizza was prepared by 25 chefs during the day, and they ate it in seconds in Tel Aviv's central park.

- American and Canadian citizens consume an average of 23 pounds of pizza per person per year. Their favorite pizza is pepperoni (a spicy type of salami) and cheese pizza, second only to hamburgers in popularity.

As can be seen from all of the above, pizza has come a long way from antiquity to the present day. And it became popular thanks to Queen Margarita. So the next time, biting off a juicy piece of pizza, we remember Queen Margherita, who did not dare to try pizza in front of the people.

A little more history

pizza prototypes existed among the ancient Greeks and Romans, as serving some dishes on the table on slices of bread. In connection with the importation of tomatoes into Europe in 1522, the prototype of Italian pizza appeared in Naples. In the 17th century, special people (“pizzaiolo”, pizzaiolo) appeared who prepared pizza for Italian peasants.

Pizza was loved by the wife of the Neapolitan king Ferdinand IV, Maria-Caroline of Habsburg-Lorraine (1752-1814), and later by the Italian king Umberto I and his wife Margherita of Savoy, after whom one of the recipes was named. Pizza arrived in the USA at the end of the second half of the 19th century and first appeared, apparently, in Chicago. In 1957, semi-finished pizzas appeared.

pizza cooking

Classic pizza dough made from special flour (a mixture of flour and durum flour), yeast, olive oil, salt and water. The dough is kneaded by hand and after proofing it is rolled out in a thin layer (usually up to half a centimeter thick). The dough is covered with tomato sauce. After that, it is possible to add almost any fillings. The classic pizza is baked in a special wood-fired oven, called Pompeii, which has the shape of a dome in the form of a hemisphere. Pizza is also prepared in hearth and conveyor pizza ovens. In wood-burning stoves, fire is kindled from one side, rising up, the heat from it enters the focus of the sphere and is reflected in the center of the stove in the middle of the hearth, heating it. Therefore, in such an oven it takes about 90 seconds, and at home - in an oven preheated to 250-275 ° C in about 8-10 minutes.

eating pizza

Traditional classic pizza before use, cut with a special knife into 4, 6, 8, etc. pieces and eat with your hands.

Famous types of pizza

Pizza aglio e olio- with hot olive oil, garlic and oregano lightly fried in it.
Pizza aglio, olio e pomodoro- olive oil, garlic, oregano and tomatoes.
Pizza alla marinara (Marinara)- with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano (optional anchovies, capers and black olives).
Pizza con le cozze- with mussels, garlic, olive oil and parsley.
Pizza alle vongole- with venerki (bivalves), tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, parsley and oregano.
Pizza Margherita (Margarita)- with tomatoes, mozzarella (sometimes additionally sprinkled with parmesan), olive oil and basil. A variety of Margherita Margherita bianca without tomatoes.
Pizza Napolitana/Napoli ("in Neapolitan")- with tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan, anchovies, olive oil, oregano and basil (real napolitana pizza must be cooked exclusively on wood).
Pizza Regina- with tomatoes, mozzarella, champignons, ham, oregano (sometimes also with black olives).
Pizza capricciosa (Capricciosa)- with tomatoes, mozzarella, mushrooms, artichokes, green and black olives.
Pizza ai quattro formaggi (Four cheeses)- with four different types of cheese.
Pizza quattro stagioni (Four seasons)- Tomatoes are a common ingredient. Pizza is divided into four parts, each of which means one of the seasons: Spring: olives and artichokes;
Summer: salami and black pepper; Autumn: tomatoes and mozzarella (like margarita); Winter: mushrooms and boiled eggs.
Pizza ai funghi e salsicce (or boscaiola) (Fungi)- with mozzarella, mushrooms, sausages, with or without tomatoes.
Pizza Diabola- spicy pizza with pepperoni and other ingredients.
Pizza al tonno- with tuna.
Pizza ai frutti di mare- with seafood.
Pizza Hawaii (Hawaiian)- with ham and pineapple, presumably of American origin.
Sicilian pizza (Sicilian pizza)- square, with anchovies.

The filling varies depending on the recipe. Neapolitan pizza is very thin and baked at high temperatures (about 500 °C) in two minutes. It can be eaten without the use of cutlery, having previously rolled it a libro (“like a book”).

One type of pizza is calzone (calzone, “stuffed envelope”), which is folded in half and baked in this form. Traditional toppings are ricotta, ham, mushrooms, mozzarella, parmesan and oregano. Initially, calzones were baked in fat not in the oven / oven, but on the stove in a frying pan.

Distribution of pizza in the world

Pizza has spread mainly in the US and Europe, where developed chains of pizzerias have appeared, most of which offer free pizza delivery to the customer's address.

Japanese version of pizza ("okonomiyaki") is a fried flatbread with seafood and vegetables, well greased with a special sauce and sprinkled on top with dried tuna chips. When serving, such a pizza is divided with a flat spatula "kote".

Pizza in the USA

Due to the wide influence of Italian and Greek immigrants on American culture, it has become very widespread in the United States. There are a fairly large number of regional types of pizza that have only a distant resemblance to the Italian original. The thickness of the crust depends on the preferences of the consumer, pizza on thick and thin dough is equally popular. Often, when creating new types of pizza, such purely American products as barbecue chicken or bacon are used.

Ingredients

american pizza as part of its test it often has vegetable oil, not always olive oil, which cannot be found in traditional Italian recipes. The amount and composition of the topping, as well as the size of the pizza itself, can vary over a very wide range. In addition, American pizza (at least thin-crust pizza) uses flour with a high gluten content (often 13-14%). Such a dough can be stretched without tearing.

Various toppings may be added, usually these are:
Tomato sauce is a common substitute for tomato paste used in Italian pizzas, a fairly heavily spiced, low water, smooth sauce. For example, barbecue sauce is sometimes used.
Cheese, usually mozzarella, but also provolone, cheddar, parmesan, feta, and other cheeses.
Fruits and vegetables: garlic, artichoke hearts, eggplant, olives, capers, onions, spinach, tomatoes, red peppers, green chili peppers, pineapple and others.
Mushrooms, usually champignons, rarely truffles.
Meat products: salami, pepperoni, Italian, ham, bacon, beef, and chicken meat.
Seafood: anchovies, tuna, salmon, shrimp, octopus, squid, mussels.
Herbs and spices: basil, oregano, black pepper, chili pepper.
Nuts: cashews, pistachios and pine nuts.
Oil: olive, walnut or truffle.

In some recipes, tomato sauce is either omitted (white pizza) or replaced with another sauce (most commonly garlic butter, but also spinach and onion sauces). In Philadelphia there are tomato pizza, containing only sauce, or sauce with ripe Roman tomatoes and spices without cheese, as well as pizza "upside down", having cheese on the bottom and covered with sauce on top. Pizza is eaten hot (usually for lunch or dinner), the remaining pieces that have cooled down are used for breakfast.

Types of American pizza

New York-style pizza- a kind of pizza, born in New York, brought by immigrants from Naples - the birthplace of pizza. Often has an impressive size, the slices are thin and flexible. The dough is kneaded by hand and uses a moderate amount of sauce and cheese. New York pizza can be considered an enlarged version of the Neapolitan pizza. Pizza slices are always eaten folded in half, or even stacked on top of each other, due to the size and flexibility of the crust. This type of pizza dominates the northeastern states. If a resident of the United States says "pizza" - then most likely he means exactly the New York version of its execution. Many pizzerias in New York offer two main types of pizza: "Neapolitan" or "Regular", which has a thinner, round-shaped crust, and "Sicilian" or "rectangular" with a thicker dough, cut into rectangular pieces. Another type of pizza, more popular in Long Island (less often in the Queens and Manhattan areas) is grandma's pizza (Grandma pizza). This one has a rectangular shape, and a thin, crispy crust. Has less than usual amount of cheese. Sometimes spices and butter are mixed into the dough.

Pizza New Heaven (New Heaven-style pizza), also known as apizza, is popular among Southern Connecticut residents. Pizza has a thin cake, which can be both soft and hard enough, depending on the specific manufacturer. By default, a variant of "white" pizza is used, seasoned only with garlic and hard cheese; customers who want to add tomato sauce or mozzarella must ask for it separately. Pizza has a very dark, “scorched” crispy crust that is bitter in taste, offset by the sweetness of tomatoes or other fillings.

Greek pizza (Greece-style pizza)- a variant popular in New England; popularized in pizzerias owned by Greek immigrants. The pizza has a thicker crust and is baked in a pan in an oven rather than directly on the stone. Regular olive oil is part of the topping and is also used to grease the pan and get a crisp on the crust. pizza recipes used in other parts of the country include feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and Greek spices such as oregano.

Chicago pizza (Chicago-style pizza or Chicago-style deep-dish pizza) has a thick crust formed in a deep baking dish. The order of the ingredients has been changed: cake, cheese, topping, sauce on top. Some types (called stuffed - pizza staff) have two layers and sauce on top. This type of pizza was invented by Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo and was first introduced in 1943 at Pizzeria Uno, which is still in operation today. It is worth adding that Pizzeria Uno has a twin - Pizzeria Due. This pizza has become famous in Europe largely thanks to the Pizza Hut pizza chain.

Chicago-style thin-crust pizza has a thinner crust than the Chicago-style deep dish and is baked flat rather than shaped. The crust, although thin, has sufficient firmness, unlike New York pizza. The crust is smeared with a southern Italian tomato sauce that uses herbs and wine, and usually contains no visible tomato pieces. Then a layer of filling is added and a layer of mozzarella cheese, which often separates from the crust due to the tomato sauce. The pizza is cut into three to four squares (8-10 cm) rather than into wedges, as is usually done. Due to the small size of the pieces, there is no need to stack the pizza. Thin-crust Chicago is common throughout the US Midwest. The most famous pizza chains are Aurelio's Pizza, Home Run Inn and Rosati's Pizza.

St. Louis-style pizza A variant of the Chicago thin-crust pizza popular in St. Louis, Missouri, as well as Southern Illinois. The most striking difference is the use of spent cheese (Provel) instead of mozzarella. A mixture of these cheeses is less commonly used. The filling usually consists of fresh ingredients cut into cubes. Common to this type of pizza is the presence of large pieces of onion on top, sliced \u200b\u200bpaprika rings and a whole strip of bacon. In the case of ordering pizza with sausage or other meat products, the meat is choked with hands. The thin dough becomes crispy after cooking and is sometimes compared to a cracker. Despite the round crust, the pizza is cut into square pieces.

California-style pizza prepared from non-traditional ingredients. Preference is given to fresh products. A popular variation, Thai Chicken Pizza is made with peanut sauce, bean sprouts, carrots and BBQ sauce on top. This recipe originated at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California and was popularized by California Pizza Kitchen, Wolfgang Puck's and others.

Hawaiian pizza made with Canadian bacon (or sliced ham), pineapple and mozzarella cheese. This type of pizza is especially popular in the western United States, as well as in Australia, Canada and Sweden, but not in the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian pizza is also popular in Europe.

Canadian pizza (Canadian-style pizza). Pizza with marinara sauce, a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, pepperoni, bacon (usually not Canadian), mushrooms, chopped white onions, is very popular in Ontario. A mixture of oregano, parsley, and garlic is reminiscent of the Montreal way of preparing spices. The cake is thick, often decorated with garlic.

Taco pizza. For the filling, she uses ingredients typical of taco making, such as lettuce, minced beef, ham, chopped tomatoes, avocado, corn chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream and taco sauce.

Grilled pizza, invented in Providence, Rhode Island, has a rather thin grilled crust that flips over after cooking so the toppings are on the grilled side.

English muffin, French bread pizza and pizza bagels are common pizza analogues that can be cooked at home using an ordinary oven or toaster. Require the addition of sauce, grated cheese and pepperoni. French bread is also available as a semi-finished product.

If you ever had a question How did pizza come about, then, most likely, like most people, you decided that pizza is a purely Italian dish and it was invented in Italy. However, it is not. Pizza, like many dishes, was not first invented in the country to whose national cuisine it now belongs, that is, Italy.

In the 18th century, the idea of flat bread came to Italy. On the streets and markets of the city, flat cakes called "Pizzas". These cakes were flat bread, without any seasonings and toppings. Since they were very cheap, tasty and satisfying, they were mainly popular among the poor of Naples. The appearance of tomatoes among the Neapolitans and the visit of the queen to the streets of the city contributed to the emergence of the very pizza that we know and love today!

In 1889 Queen Margaret accompanied by her husband, King Umberto I, toured her kingdom of Italy. During her travels in Italy, she saw many people, especially peasants, who ate these large and flat cakes with pleasure. The queen ordered one of these cakes to be brought to her. It is said that Queen Margherita was a great lover of bread. However, she ate it alone, as it was not proper for the queen to consume "peasant food". Therefore, in front of the people, she did not dare to try the cake.

However, the queen was very fond of bread, and her desire to try the cake surpassed her so much that she decided to invite a cook Rafael Esposito to the palace. Queen Margherita ordered him to bake several types of pizza. The chef tried so hard to please the queen that he prepared a special pizza for her. Tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese and fresh basil were used in this pizza, which completely repeated the colors of the Italian flag: white, red and green.

According to legend, this special pizza surpassed all expectations of the queen and became her favorite. She even let me call her by her name - Pizza Margherita, thereby laying the foundation for a whole culinary tradition that has spread and become popular around the world to this day. There is a legend that in this way Queen Margarita tried to get closer to the people.

History does not know whether the chef Raphael began to sell his creation to the masses, but it is known that pizza in the form that we know now spread among the Italian people. Different types of pizza began to appear in different parts of Italy. In Bologna, for example, they began to add meat to pizza. Neapolitan pizza with garlic, crumbly Neapolitan cheese, herbs, fresh vegetables and spices has gained particular popularity. By this time, the idea of baking pizza in special brick ovens appeared. And pizza dough, like today, consisted of flour, vegetable oil, salt and yeast.

Pizza began to spread throughout America, France, England and Spain, but it really became popular in these countries only after the Second World War. While occupying Italian territories, many American and European soldiers tasted pizza for the first time. It was love at first bite!

Today you can find many variations of pizza, both in shape and filling. For example, in addition to round pizza, there is also a square pizza - Sicilian pizza with anchovies. There is a pizza "envelope" - calzone. One of the traditional ingredients for calzone is the traditional Italian dairy product ricotto.

Some interesting pizza facts:

The Guinness Book of Records has repeatedly recorded several of the largest pizzas in the world:

. The largest round the pizza was baked on December 8, 1990 in a hypermarket in the city of Norwood (South Africa). Its diameter was 37.4 meters, and its preparation took: 4500 kg of flour, 90 kg of salt, 900 kg of tomato puree and 1800 kg of cheese! The African pizza was only 3.5 meters in diameter larger than its predecessor, a pizza baked by Pizza Hut in Singapore in 1990.

. longest pizza was taken in Israel on November 3, 2003. Its length was 100 meters. Pizza was prepared by 25 chefs during the day, and they ate it in seconds in Tel Aviv's central park.

American and Canadian citizens consume an average of 23 pounds of pizza per person per year. Their favorite pizza is pepperoni (a spicy type of salami) and cheese pizza, second only to hamburgers in popularity.

As you can see, pizza has come a long way from antiquity to the present day. And it became popular thanks to Queen Margarita. So the next time you bite into a juicy piece of pizza, remember Queen Margherita, who did not dare to try pizza in front of the people.

Pizza is one of the most popular dishes in the world. It is unlikely that there are people who have not heard of him. Homeland pizza - Italy. And the inhabitants of this country are very proud that it is a national dish. What does it look like? Pizza is a round open tortilla topped - in the classic version - with melted cheese (usually mozzarella) and tomatoes. In professional jargon, such fillings are called toppings.

History of creation

So how did pizza come about? A similar dish already existed among the ancient Romans and Greeks. It was a dish laid out on slices of bread. Bread with the addition of dairy products, vegetables, olives, cheese and meat was included in the rations of Roman legionnaires. Moreover, it was the food of both plebeians and patricians.

In the 1st century BC e. Roman Mark Apicius wrote a book where he cited many recipes for the “ancestors” of modern pizzas. In various combinations, the following were placed on the dough: pepper, garlic, nuts, mint, chicken meat, cheese, olive oil. Well, the word pizza itself is very close in sound to the words piatto (plate) and piazza (square).

In 1522, tomatoes were brought to Europe. So in Italy they began to make almost classic pizza. Two centuries later, special people appeared who prepared pizza for the peasants. They were called pizzaiolo. In 1772, the monarch Ferdinand I was walking around Naples incognito and got hungry. The king went to the institution of Antonio Testa (Neapolitan pizzaiolo). Ferdinand was delighted with the taste and variety of dishes. He even tried to introduce pizza into the royal kitchen, but it all ended in failure. The wife opposed the appearance of commoners' food in the diet of royal people.

After some time, another monarch, Ferdinand II, also liked pizza. And the king decided to instill sympathy for this dish in the female part of the court. He invited the royal chefs to a secret meeting and asked them to figure out how to ennoble pizza. The problem was that the dough for this dish was kneaded with their feet. And this is categorically unacceptable in the royal kitchen.

It was also necessary to find a tool suitable for eating pizza, so as not to stain noble fingers with grease. For the solution of the assigned tasks, Ferdinand made Gennaro Spadacchini responsible. Moreover, the Neapolitan nobleman had to cope in a limited time - before the holiday in honor of the queen's birthday.

Spaddachini did an excellent job. Now the dough was beaten with a bronze pestle, and a four-pronged fork was used to eat the pizza. And then came the birthday of Margaret of Savoy. Rosina Brandi and Rafael Esposito (a married couple of palace cooks) prepared a huge miracle pizza for the Queen's thirtieth birthday. Naturally, she was given the name of the Empress. After the celebration of the celebration, "Margarita" became the most popular dish at the royal court.

Also in the royal kitchen appeared pizza "Marinara" and "Four Seasons". At the moment, there are more than two thousand varieties of dishes. And we can confidently say that the birthplace of pizza is Italy. It was Naples that gave the world this culinary miracle. In the 19th century, pizza came to America thanks to Italian immigrants. But widespread use was observed after the Second World War. Home delivery of this product appeared. And the food industry produced semi-finished pizzas in large volumes.

Cooking features

The classic pizza dough is made from water, salt, olive oil, yeast and special flour. It is kneaded by hand and immediately after proofing is rolled out in a thin layer. Then covered with tomato sauce and various toppings are added.

Surely everyone has heard such an expression as “wood-fired pizza”. The fact is that the classic version is cooked in the Pompeian oven with a hemisphere-shaped vault. And yes, it's wood. Hence the name of the dish. The fire is kindled on one side until it rises up and enters the focus of the sphere. Well, then the heat will be reflected in the center of the oven, heating the middle of the hearth. The high temperature causes the wood-fired pizza to cook in just 90 seconds. If you make it at home, in a preheated oven (200 ° C), then cooking will take ten minutes.

Before eating, classic pizza is cut into several pieces (4,6,8, etc.) and eaten with your hands.

The dish became widespread in Russia in the 1990s, when foreign companies such as Sbarro and Pizza Hut entered the domestic market. In addition, homemade versions of this dish, more reminiscent of shangu with cheese, meat and other ingredients, have gained popularity.

Types of pizzas. Classic Neapolitan

Considered the best in the world. It is handmade from traditional ingredients and baked in a wood-fired oven. Moreover, only the freshest products are used: tomatoes, garlic, herbs and mozzarella cheese made from water buffalo milk.

There are three officially recognized types of Neapolitan pizza: "Marinara" (with garlic, olive oil and tomato sauce), "Margherita" (baked using olive oil, basil, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes) and "Margherita di Bufala" (different from the previous one only by the fact that cheese made from water buffalo milk is added to it). Let's go further.

Sicilian

In Italy it is called sphincione. Sicilian pizza differs from others in that anchovies are used in its preparation, and cheese is placed under the sauce. Well, the most characteristic detail is that the dough for sphincione is rolled out only in the form of a square.

Pizza "Four cheeses"

"Quatro formaggio" - that's how its name sounds in Italian. Four Cheese Pizza tastes like no other pizza. Its filling becomes clear from the name. In addition to dough and four types of cheese (emmental, parmesan, gorgonzola, mozzarella), it has no other ingredients.

Calzone

This dish is a little different from the standard types of pizzas. How is it different? Calzone is a closed pizza. The filling in it is enclosed between two test cakes. This prevents the calzone from cooling and weathering. Shaped like a crescent or circle.

The edges of this unusual pizza are fastened in the form of an “envelope” or “dumpling”. Gourmets appreciate and love calzone very much because under its crispy crust the aroma of the ingredients used is completely preserved. And this dish is often ordered at home, as it stays hot for a long time, or at least warm.

Focaccia

It's not the name of a pizza. This is how the base (crust) baked for this dish or in simple words a flatbread is denoted. Focaccia is made without filling and eaten like regular bread. No sauces are added. Focaccia is based on flat round bread with a thickness of 1 to 2.5 centimeters. It is topped with fried vegetables, olive oil, and other toppings.

Focaccia is served in most gastronomic pizzerias. We can say that this is one of the oldest types of the dish described in the article, which arose even before the appearance of tomatoes in Europe (later they were brought from Central America and Mexico).

Dessert

These types of pizza originated in Italy. It all started with the famous In dessert pizza, the sugar content in the dough is expressed enough to be felt. Well, the filling is jam, yogurt, cottage cheese, fruits and more. In addition to the standard round shape, the dish can be made as a ring.

National

These types of pizza stand apart. The fact is that when the classic Italian dish spread to different countries, it transformed over time. This happened under the influence of the culinary traditions of a particular state. Since then, they began to share pizzas on a national basis. We list the most popular options below.

American. It is distinguished by lush crust and a wide variety of fillings. Well, the technological process itself makes this pizza “non-Italian”.
French. Instead of the traditional “mozzarella”, national varieties of cheese are added to it. More often than others, these are parmesan and noble blue cheeses.
Japanese. The filling is dominated by seafood.
Indian. Curried chicken meat is used as a filler.
Russian. Most often it has a diameter of 15-20 cm. There are also very small specimens - 12 centimeters. Russian pizza is distinguished by lush dough, a variety of toppings (what was in the refrigerator) and cheese. The latter is poured in such an amount that after melting it covers the entire surface of the product.

White

One of the varieties. It got its name due to the fact that tomatoes are not added to it. Well, as a filler use cream sauce or mayonnaise.

Black

It was created by the chef of the restaurant "Greenwich" (Odessa). This is an exclusive dish of this institution. The name of the pizza is explained simply: it is based on black dough cakes, which are dyed with cuttlefish ink. As for the filling, these are three types of caviar (green - from flying fish, black, red) and salmon fillet.

frozen pizza

This is a semi-finished product consisting of a filling and a cake. It is sold in stores and is a hot item in fast food chains. Frozen pizza is not the best option. And it's not so much about freezing, but about the lack of a high-temperature oven for most people. A home oven will not bake such a pizza as it should. The dish will either burn or remain raw.

Filling options

Herbs, garlic and oil were the first pizza toppings. Now the list of toppings is so huge that it will satisfy the taste of even the most sophisticated gourmets.

10 popular fillers

Vegetables (bell peppers, capers, basil, artichoke).
Seafood.
Meat.
Chicken.
Ham.
Mushrooms.
A pineapple.
Sausages.
Salami.

Fillers by country of the world

USA - pepperoni.
Japan - squid, octopus.
Brazil - chocolate.
India - chicken.
Russia - red onion, tuna.
Germany - egg.
France - bacon and onions.
Norway - salmon.

Fragrant, tasty, with a stretchy cheese filling and a crispy crust. This is how we know pizza today. It is baked by dozens of specialized establishments in each city. At the same time, branded products in each of them will differ in taste. Are you wondering who invented pizza? The history of this goes back centuries, so it is quite difficult to follow the course of all events. But we will try to study all the data that have come down to us.

indelible image

Even if you have never been to Italy, eating fragrant pizza, you will surely involuntarily imagine the lovely streets under the shade of olive and tangerine trees and the sound of the Mediterranean surf. It never occurs to anyone to doubt who invented pizza. They were definitely Italians. And it is still believed that the best pizza can only be tasted in her homeland. True, in every city there are excellent Italian restaurants where chefs will prepare a real masterpiece for you. But today we are interested in the history of the creation of a culinary masterpiece.

Erasing social inequality

Today, the stratification of society is becoming more and more noticeable. But that was the case many centuries ago. There was an unbridgeable gulf between the Roman patricians and the plebeians. But this did not prevent both of them from having juicy and fragrant pizza on the table. It could differ in shape or filling, but the essence remained the same. Speaking about who invented pizza, it's safe to say that it was not an aristocrat. Rather, these filled flatbreads were the food of common workers.

A simple tortilla with cheese is found quite often in the description of the events of that time. A variant close to the modern dish was included in the rations of Roman legionnaires. But they didn't come up with it first. They picked up this idea from the Babylonians and Egyptians. Some information suggests that the inhabitants of ancient Egypt prepared special cakes with herbs on special days. And the Babylonians came up with a thin base, which was smeared with olive oil and decorated with olives. Therefore, it is difficult to say who invented pizza.

food for the nobility

This dish has changed over time. The recipes became more complex and the ingredients more refined. Initially, a thin cake smeared with olive oil was a mandatory attribute. Olives, chicken meat and sheep's cheese, nuts were laid out on the prepared base. We should not forget about the climatic features of the region. The history of pizza began in Italy precisely because all these ingredients are quite common here. The spices were mint and basil.

But gradually the recipes began to become more complicated. Products began to be decorated with intricate curls, smoked meats and other delicacies were added. Pizza is called the "food of the gods". Various recipes are given in the Roman chronicles. One thing remains unchanged - a thin flatbread, olive oil and cheese. Cakes were baked in a well-heated stone oven.

The first Italian restaurants

The history of pizza goes back centuries. At all times, people loved to eat delicious food. The traditions of late Roman times, when it became a food for the rich, gradually became a thing of the past. But the dish was not forgotten. Enterprising Italians began to open small eateries in which everyone could refresh themselves with a piece of hot pizza. The composition has also changed, now this open pie has begun to acquire modern features. Homeland is Italy, but not all traditional components of the finished product were born in this sunny country.

Tomatoes. They are so merged with the image of pizza that they are almost inseparable from it. But in Italy they were previously considered poisonous, and only in the 16th century they began to be imported from Peru and Mexico. So they got into Italian pizzerias.
Mozzarella cheese. It is surprising that a product with such an Italian name is not of local origin. Cheese from buffalo milk was made by nomadic peoples long before that. But in the 17th century, Italian culinary specialists also got acquainted with this product, calling it mozzarella.

Now all the toppings with which pizza has come down to our times have begun to be actively used to make the most delicious dish.

Pizza dough

But if the filling turned out to be a team from all over the world, there is probably something that allows the Italians to call this dish national and traditional until now. It's definitely dough. The appearance of the original pasta is associated precisely with Italian culinary specialists. The pizza base had to be fairly thin and crispy. It was then possible to achieve such an effect only by kneading the dough with your feet. It is understandable why pizza has long been considered food for commoners.

Gradually, the manual method of kneading dough was mastered. But this happened only in the XVIII century. Now it becomes clear which Italian city is considered the birthplace of pizza. It is called Naples, it was in honor of this city that the most famous Neapolitan pizza in the world was named. The first pizzeria in the modern sense of the word was opened in this city. She is still waiting for her old and new clients.

american pizza

As trade ties grew stronger, more and more people began to get acquainted with this amazing pie or flatbread. You can call it in different ways, but enterprising Americans immediately realized that they could make good business on this. But since the Italians kept the dough recipes a secret, they had to improvise. The appearance of pizza in the United States led to the creation of a whole network of pizzerias throughout the country. They began to offer their customers a slightly modified version of the traditional one. And to this day, in various eateries they offer us pizza with a thin base, in the Italian style and with a thick one, in the American one.

Main differences:

As already mentioned, they began to use thicker cakes. Some people like it, others don't. But pizza has become more satisfying and nutritious.
Olive oil in the recipe began to be replaced by vegetable oil. The spread of pizza in the world has made this rule ubiquitous to reduce the cost of the finished product.
The volume of the filling has doubled. It turned out more like a pie.
Bacon, beef and chicken, gherkins, mushrooms and pineapples began to be used as a filler.

Today, there are a huge number of options. To verify this, just look at any pizzeria or go to the website of an online pizzeria. Each of them offers dozens of fillings and traditionally two types of dough. And the housewives cook it on dumplings, yeast, puff and custard dough. And of course, the taste is different every time. This dish is very convenient because semi-finished pizza can be frozen and baked at any convenient time.

Legendary pizza

Among the abundance of varieties, the first place is occupied by Margarita. The simplest and most affordable in terms of its ingredients, it is loved by thousands of people. Let's talk about where the name came from and why she got it. A beautiful legend is connected with this, which they like to tell in Italian restaurants.

By the 18th century, pizza was no longer a food for the poor. Now even the kings were not against tasting this amazing dish. Queen Margherita of Savoy, wanting to show her affection for the Italians, wanted to try the national dish. Until now, restaurant owners explain to their foreign guests why pizza is called "Margherita". For its preparation, a famous Italian chef was called to the palace, who showed his skill and pleased the crowned persons. He had to come up with a completely new recipe, which he dedicated to the queen. So far, no one has come up with a better name.

Exclusive composition

Pizza "Margherita" is simplicity and sophistication. It is so harmonious that there is nothing more to add to it. The queen's special pizza was baked with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. These products matched the colors on the Italian flag: red, green and white. Very concise and at the same time very tasty. The composition of Margherita pizza has not changed so far. Some cooks add garlic to it, but this cannot be considered an exact reproduction of the original recipe.

Secrets of the classic "Magarita"

You can cook it at home, but for this you need to know and follow a few secrets:

Do not buy a pizza base in the store. It is much better to make yeast dough at home from two types of flour, coarse and fine grinding. Add a little olive oil and mix in softer than dumplings.
The second secret is the tomato sauce. You will need fresh tomatoes and basil.
made without stuffing. Immediately after the layer of sauce comes the cheese.
It must be baked in a very hot oven on a hot sheet.

Other notable varieties

There are many of them, but today we will pay attention only to those that can be considered classics. Of course, in each diner, the chef can make a special dough, add favorite ingredients to the filling and get a whole new variety:

Aglio e olio. Very simple, flavorful and delicious pizza. It contains garlic and oregano. These ingredients are first fried in olive oil.
"Alle vongole". Great option for seafood lovers. The composition includes parsley and olive oil, garlic and seafood. The highlight of the composition are mussels. But there are no traditional tomatoes and cheese here.
"Neapolitan". Real pizza of this variety can only be tasted in Naples. She is very interesting for her taste. In addition to cheese and tomatoes, the composition includes oregano, anchovies, parmesan, olive oil and basil.
"Caprichosa". Very savory pizza thanks to artichokes, black olives and mushrooms. Tomatoes and cheese complete the picture. Despite the fact that there is no meat in it, the pizza is very satisfying and nutritious.
"Diablo". This is the best option for spicy food lovers. It includes mushrooms and hot peppers, salami and several types of cheese. It turns out tasty, but quite spicy.

These are only the most famous types of pizza.

Instead of a conclusion

Today, this surprisingly simple and at the same time delicious dish is known all over the world. This is a great option to prepare a delicious snack for your family members, quick and tasty. Pizza is perfect for a party or a business lunch. We can say that - pizza - today has become international. But still, it is almost impossible to cook it the way the chefs of Italian restaurants do it. Therefore, if you want to taste original pastries, then go to a good restaurant. Not everyone can repeat this masterpiece at home.

Publication date: 02 Apr 2012

It is not known for certain which people became the inventor of this dish. which, in the process of long transformations and improvements, became known as classic Italian pizza. The Etruscans, Greeks,
Romans, Phoenicians and many others. Also, the date of invention has not been preserved, it is only known that before delicious Italian pizza appeared, in warm countries like Egypt and India they made cakes with anything. The “age” of such cakes is several thousand years.

The history dates back to ancient Egypt, where they made cakes from sour yeast bread. Sometimes aromatic algae from the Nile were added to the dough. The shape of the cakes resembled a modern pizza, or the sun, which the Egyptians worshiped and with which many rituals were associated. Many of Egypt's culinary inventions have spread throughout the world, including the Zoroastrian pita and other pizza-like dishes.

Also, there is a version that one of the dishes of Ancient Greece became the prototype of pizza. The Greeks were very rational people, so they baked bread with various seasonings, which included almost everything that could be eaten. Plakuntos is a Greek pizza which means "flat baked bread". Cheese, herbs, olives, butter, garlic and onions were very often laid out on it. Even Plato in his work "Republic" described cakes with a similar seasoning, which was washed down with a large amount of wine, after which various hymns were sung with redoubled zeal.

Some historians believe that when the Roman legions returned from Palestine, they brought with them the recipe for the "pizza" dish, from which. possibly happened. Others believe that the Romans borrowed their “plakuntos” from the Greeks, changing the name to “plakea”.

And although many culinary specialists agree that pizza is a purely Italian invention, some scientists are ready to argue with this. For example, Astrid Rybergolz, a Norwegian ethnologist, believes that the prototype of pizza was invented by the Vikings. As evidence, she cites the finds of frying pans, which were probably used to bake bread seasoned with vegetables, meat or fish.

A direct relative and progenitor of the modern version of pizza, as well as pita bread and pita, is the focaccio flatbread. The method of its preparation is similar to pizza, however, focaccia does not have a specific filling. Previously, it was the daily food of peasants and warriors. And the history of pizza itself has about 200 years. It is believed that in one of the largest cities in Europe at that time, Naples, bakers began to prepare stuffed cakes for the poor to save time. As a filling, they were sprinkled with tomatoes, oregano or dried marjoram on top, poured with vegetable oil and could be lightly covered with cheese.

This is how delicious Italian pizza was born. Wandering merchants often put it in copper boxes, and, carrying them on their heads, offered pizza to passers-by on the street. Sometimes the buyers were very poor and could not pay for the treat immediately, but gave the money back within a week. So, pizza began to be called "eight-day".

There are two types of classic Neapolitan pizza: "Margherita" and "Marinara". "Marinara" owes its name to the fishermen, for whom it once served as a daily breakfast. And "Margarita" has a very interesting history. The royal court was in their summer residence and became interested in the local dish. The royal chefs went to Vesuvius to find out more about the recipe for this wonderful dish, and got a couple. Returning to court, they were happy to report their progress to the nobility. And although they failed to bring thin Italian pizza to the royal menu, the court was simply delighted with the variety of dishes. They even invited pizzaiolo Rafaele Esposito and his wife to court. Together they prepared three types of pizza, one of which was especially liked by the queen. It was filled with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella - the colors of the flag of Italy. Pizzaiolo decided to name this type of pizza after the Queen - Margherita. It is this pizza that is considered the most exquisite and often serves as the basis for all kinds of options in which everything that is available is placed on the dough. Together with "Margarita", the "Four Seasons" and "Marinara", which existed back in 1660 and 1800, respectively, were served to the royal court. This is the story of pizza! Bon appetit!