Believe it or not, the original pizza type dish may have been born in Ancient Greece where baked flatbreads with various toppings including cheese, garlic and onions were enjoyed by the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. These were known as plakountos and some say were the catalyst for pizza as we know it today.
However, research shows that Napoli (Naples), Italy is considered to be the true birthplace of pizza (perhaps having been influenced from its time as a Greek colony Neapolis in the 7th century BC). The first Neapolitan flatbread, known as ‘Pizzaiola’, was invented in the 1800s in this area of Southwest Italy, initially prepared using only tomato sauce and garlic on a bread base. The Margherita pizza, probably the most popular pizza in the world, is said to have been invented by Neapolitan baker Raffaele Esposito in 1889 in honour of the Queen Consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, preparing the pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil to represent the colours of the Italian flag. But this legend has been questioned by food historians who believe that the Pizza Margherita concept had been around prior to that, perhaps known then as 'Pizza Marinara'.
After World War II when soldiers returned to their native countries, they craved the taste for this delicious tomato & cheese flatbread that they had experienced during their time abroad. This coupled with Italian immigrants travelling to the US and other countries in the 1900s is said to have led to the growth of popularity of pizza worldwide.
Today pizza has evolved with many variations of toppings and bases being sold in shops, cafes and restaurants. We all have our preferences when it comes to choosing a pizza, some of us preferring to keep it simple. And with good quality pizza bases now available in supermarkets, it is easy to DIY at home & bake in your oven or outside pizza stove.
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