It’s round, cheesy, and beloved around the world: pizzas.
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Pizzas are so universally appreciated, they were a “pandemic staple” in 2020, according to US-based news website The New York Times. They are easy to eat, affordable, and the perfect size for entire families. But how did they come to be?
Flatbreads with toppings have long been consumed around the world – by ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. But the modern pizza’s birthplace is in southwest Italy’s Campania region, where lies the city of Naples.
In the 1700s, Naples was a thriving waterfront city, notorious for its crowds of working poor – the lazzaroni. These Neapolitan residents mostly worked outdoors, and often lived in homes little bigger than a room. So, they needed inexpensive food that could be eaten quickly – even while on the move.
And so, the pizza was born. Street vendors and informal restaurants began providing this fare, which had affordable toppings and could be eaten at any time. It was looked down upon by the more well-off, but we actually have Naples’ working class to thank for the tasty garnishes that grace our pizzas today – from tomatoes and cheese to anchovies and garlic.
However, pizza’s reputation changed when King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889.
The story goes that the travelling pair had become bored of their diet of French haute cuisine, and so, asked for an assortment of pizzas from the city’s Pizzeria Brandi. The variety the queen loved most was called pizza mozzarella – a pie that had soft white cheese, red tomatoes and green basil. She may even have enjoyed it because it featured the colours of the Italian flag! From then on, that particular pizza combination was named pizza Margherita.
Pizza remained little known beyond Italy until the 1940s, when Italian immigrants to the US replicated their delicious fare in New York and other American cities. Quickly, the pizza’s flavours and aromas captivated non-Italians, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Which pizza is your favourite? Play today’s Crossword and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
