The history of pizza is a delicious dive into a dish that the world has enjoyed for centuries. Walt Chantry celebrates National Pizza Day and World Pizza Day with a taste of history:
Did you know that pizza is 2,000 years old?! There have been an incredible number of variations over the years. But the original pizza dates back to the 20th century. It wasn’t called ‘pizza’ officially until 997 CE. Before then, pizza was ‘pissa’ or ‘pita.’ (Yes, that’s the same pita that’s still enjoyed today!)
In 1570, the Pope requested that his head chef create a recipe for pizza. But this was nothing like the pizza we know today. The dish contained almond and sugar and it was much more like a cake than anything else. It wasn’t until 1760 that fresh tomatoes, cheese, pork and olive oil would adorn the top of a savory base… and thus, in Naples, the pizza of today was born!