Pizza Through the Ages: A Lighthearted Look

The history of pizza is ancient, fragmented, and much of it remains shrouded in mystery. Usually, reading about it is as enjoyable as waiting in line at the post office.

This article is my attempt to lighten things up and tell it in a fun, digestible way. However, if you want the full experience done properly, check out my second book, The Fabioulous Story of Pizza. It’s a fun, easy to read novel where I, the protagonist, witness firsthand the key moments in pizza history… until, well, I past away ☠️ The images you see here are inspired from various chapters of the book.

Ancient Roots: Dough and Red-Hot Stones

Pizza has its roots in farming practices from thousands of years ago. The very first “dough” was simply ground wheat mixed with water, eaten as it was. But then someone clever realised that putting it on a red-hot stone made it taste much better. Archaeologists even found evidence of this in Bilancino, Tuscany, Italy: a mortar and pestle with traces of starches, next to a fireplace carbon-dated to 30,000 years ago!

Ancient Egypt: First Ovens and Leavening

Fast forward to ancient Egypt, about 6,000 years ago. That’s when the first purpose-built oven appeared and leavening was discovered. Legend has it, a slave forgot to care for her bread dough, baked it anyway, and ended up creating a soft, airy bread that her master loved. This early “oven” was cone-shaped and made of Nile clay bricks, very similar to tandoori ovens still used today in the Middle East.

Pompeii Ovens and Early Toppings

Even Pompeii, near Naples, had ovens dating back to the 5th century BC that resemble the ones used in many pizzerias today. Herbs were the original pizza toppings, as they were easy to find and required no cultivation. Later, as ingredients became more available, pizza began evolving into the dishes we know now, including the famous pizza Margherita.

18th Century Naples: Taverns and Mastunicola

In the 18th century, Naples taverns served pizzas made with inexpensive ingredients like lard, garlic, basil, oregano, anchovies, and whitebait, reflecting the poverty and overcrowding of the time. Pizza Mastunicola, the oldest known recipe, was supposedly invented by “Mastro Nicola” and originally featured basil (then called “Vasinicola”). Today, Mastunicola has largely disappeared from menus, but its story is still fascinating.

Tomatoes Arrive in Europe

The first tomatoes arrived in Europe in the 16th century as ornamental plants. Tomato sauce became a staple by the mid-1700s, and the first recorded mention of tomato on pizza comes from Alexandre Dumas in 1843. He probably tried a “Pizza alla maniera dei marinai” (“the sailor’s way”), later simplified into Pizza Marinara, made with tomato sauce, oregano, garlic, and olive oil.

Mozzarella Joins the Party

The final key ingredient to modern pizza? Mozzarella. Mozzarella di bufala has been made in Southern Italy for centuries. Swiss journalist Marc Monnier described it as “soft and sticky,” while an 1853 essay by Francesco de Bourcard mentions mozzarella alongside lard, cheese, and basil on pizza.

The Legend of Pizza Margherita

And now, the queen of them all: Pizza Margherita. Legend says that in 1889, during a royal visit to Naples, Queen Margherita loved a pizza topped with tomato, mozzarella, and a basil leaf, the same colours of the Italian flag. Pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito supposedly named it in her honour. Modern historians have pointed out inconsistencies in the story, but the legend sticks... part of the charm of pizza history, I guess. I might write another article to dig deeper into this ⏳

Pizza Around the World

While Italy is the heart of traditional Neapolitan pizza, other countries have their own stories. Italian immigrants brought pizza to the United States, creating New York, Detroit, Chicago thin crust and deep dish, as well as Grandma, Sicilian, Bar style, and even Japanese Neapolitan pizzas in Tokyo. Each has its own tale worth telling, but that’s a story for another time.

Feel free to discuss and write a comment if you wish, I'll be happy to start a conversation about this topic. Ciao for now 🍕

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