The History of PIZZA

It was 2 weeks that I had desire of homemade Pizza, so yesterday afternoon we started to prepare the base, since is the longest process. While I was preparing it I was thinking of how old this recipes is and the tradition that it has in Italy, so I thought to share it with all of you.

Today eating a Pizza is something really common, and this plate can be found all around the world although, I believe that not all the Pizzas that we eat everywhere should be called Pizza, unless is made with Fresh ingredients. For example I think that the Pizza from Pizza Hut should be called "Pizza Hut" but not Pizza (although I believe is good, when  feel for junk food!).

Fig. 1 "Schiacciata"

Pizza has really old origins, many historians believe that this meal was part of the Etruscan cuisine but with different ingredients and shape of what it is today. However, the Pizza was created as a poor plate, which is made out of simple and accessible ingredients: water, salt, oil, and yeast.

Fig. 2 "Lard"

This plate was first created in 1600 by the culinary genius of the diet from southern of Italy. As a matter of fact the first pizza was created to give more flavors to the traditional "schiacciata" (see picture Fig.1) which was a type of bread cooked in the wooden fire oven and seasoned with garlic, lard (which is a combination of animal fat, Fig.2), and salt or sometimes an Italian cheese called "caciocavallo" (picture Fig. 3) and basil.
Afterwards, the lard was changed by the oil and when the tomato was invented it started to appear the pizza as it is today.
The tomato was imported from Peru to Europe after the Spanish colonized America, and the poorest Italians started to eat and cook the tomatoes, and they created the tomato sauce.

In 1800 the tomato sauce was used on the pizza and it was originated a type of pizza as it is today, but not the official "Pizza Margherita".

 

Fig. 3 "Caciocavallo"

As a matter of fact, the story tells that the Pizza Margherita was invented in the late ´800 by Raffaele Esposito, the best pizza maker of that period in Naples, in honor of the visit of the sovereign of Italy, during that period, King Umberto I and the Queen Margherita.
Raffaele Esposito decided to cook for this special occasion 3 different pizzas: Pizza alla Mastunicola (with lard, cheese and basil), Pizza alla Marinara (with tomatoes sauce, garlic, oil and oregano), and the Pizza Margherita (with tomatoes sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil) made in honor of the Queen Margherita and with the colors that resembled the Italian flag (Green, white and Red).
Queen Margherita appreciated so much this gesture that decided to thank and praise, Raffaele Esposito, in writing for the beautiful and delicious idea. The Pizza maker thought that the only way to thank the Queen for this gesture was to officially give her name to his culinary invention, Pizza Margherita.

Queen Margherita

Until the end of the II Wold War the "pizza" was a typical recipes of the South of Italy, especially in the region of Naples "Campania". However, after the war with the the beginning of the industrial boom a lot of the southern population immigrated to the North, bringing with them their culinary traditions and customs, including the Pizza. This recipes had such a success with the local population that today there are more "pizzerias" in the north than in the South of Italy.

During the immigrations of Italians (especially from the South) abroad, they always brought with them their customs and traditions, especially in their cuisine and this is how the PIZZA became such a famous meal all around the world.

Pizza Margherita

Although the Italian cuisine is not all about "pizza & pasta", but it has many other delicious plates different in every region, we can say that Pizza today has a really important role in the Italian diet.



Remember the secret of a good Pizza are the fresh ingredients and the wooden fire oven!

Enjoy the following videos!

Video in English 

Video in Italian