A Brief History of Pizza and the Stuff People Put on Top

For the past month or so, a man has been standing along North Dale Mabry Highway near our home, in all weather -- rain, blistering Florida heat, humidity that rivals a steam room at a health club -- holding a sign with the name of a new business in a strip shopping center: "Best New York Pizza". This was not mere braggadocio; it is the name of the business.

So, Joan and I had to try the place and, much to our delight, found that the name was an accurate description. The pizza, calzones, Stromboli and sub sandwiches (I have enjoyed each on subsequent visits) are all top notch and huge enough to bring home dinner for the next day. I confess that, had it not been frowned upon by my wife, the leftovers would serve as breakfast.

A poster on the wall asked the question of which pizza had been named for a queen. My curiosity as to the types and origins of this popular food had been stimulated and so my research began.

Pizza or one of its forms has been a basic part of the Mediterranean diet since the Stone Age. This earliest form of pizza was crude bread that was baked beneath the stones of the fire. After cooking, it was seasoned with a variety of different toppings and used instead of plates and utensils to sop up broth or gravies. Some say that the idea of using bread as a plate came from the Greeks who ate flat round bread baked with an assortment of toppings. It was eaten by the working man and his family because it was a thrifty and convenient food. In the Sixth Century, B.C., at the height of the Persian Empire, it is said that the soldiers of Darius the Great accustomed to lengthy marches, baked a kind of bread flat upon their shields and then covered it with cheese and dates.

Notwithstanding this history, the conventional view is that pizza started in Italy and the Italians are deadly serious about the product.

In that country there are a limited number of "official" pizza styles. The original is from the Naples area. The Government of Italy has proposed guidelines that are available, in Italian, on the Internet. Drawn up by the Agriculture Ministry and professional Neapolitan pizza-makers, the guidelines were printed in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, a publication normally reserved for financial and legal notices.

Only three types of Neapolitan pizza exist, according to the proposed law. The first is Marinara with garlic and oregano. The second, a Margherita, must be made with basil, sliced tomatoes (in lieu of sauce) and cheese from the southern Apennine Mountains. Finally the "Extra Margherita" variety which must include buffalo mozzarella from the Campania region.

Other pizza styles are well known in Italy, In Roma a Pizza Napoletana has tomato, mozzarella cheese and anchovies; the same pizza in Naples is known as a Pizza Romana. Go Figure! In Vienna, folks are likely to add sausage. Elsewhere, the same toppings as are familiar in the United States are used, artichokes, ham, olives and a variety of cheeses.

In the original Sicilian style pizza toppings are baked into the crust and use no cheese. On the other hand, in America, the Sicilian type pizza is a thick rectangular crust and topped with a variety of stuff.

In the United States, pizza has become a favorite, developed in a number of regions and having only a casual relation to the original Italian version. As a transplanted New Yorker (and being brought up in the north east), I am most familiar with the variety popular there. Pizza is often sold in over sized, thin and flexible slices. It is traditionally hand-tossed, moderate on sauce, and moderately covered with cheese essentially amounting to a much larger version of the Neapolitan style. One eats the slices folded in half to make it easy to eat by hand. This also allows the extra oil to drip down one's arm and onto the shirt! This style of pizza tends to dominate the Northeastern states and is very similar to the basic style common through the United States and known simply as pizza. I grew up knowing two varieties of pizza: "Neapolitan", or "regular", made with a relatively thin, circular crust and served in wedge-shaped slices, and "Sicilian", or "square", made with a thicker, rectangular crust and served in large, rectangular slices.

In Chicago and the mid-west, pizza is a deep dish affair, closely related to that which we called "Sicilian". Pieces of this variety can be served in pie-like wedges or small squares - no folding necessary.

Other regional varieties abound. In California, they are likely to add toppings that are, in my opinion, bizarre: chicken, peanut sauce, bean sprouts, carrots, and even guacamole! In the western United States, one can also find Hawaiian pizza with bacon or ham and pineapple. In southern New England there are Greek pizza, thick crust, chewy and using feta cheese and Kalamata olives. There is even a web site devoted to Japanese pizza. According to that site, pizza joints are common in Tokyo. They offer similar toppings to that in the West but seem to feature corn, fish and, oh dear, squid ink pizza.

To all of the more adventurous folks who are willing to top their pizza with more exotic ingredients, I lift my hat. For me, I prefer that with which I am most familiar.

I discussed the available toppings with the staff at Best New York Pizza, have asked a number of friends and associates as to their preferences and have compiled a list of toppings that seem to be the most popular.
I hereby invite all readers of this article to append their choices.

First of all, I consider only "red" pizza; there is a definite place for the "white" variety and we have been known to enjoy a garlic, artichoke, spinach and cheese pizza occasionally, but, for me, the red, tomato sauce based pizza is King.

The most popular pizza topping appears to be pepperoni. I cannot conceive of a pizza without those thin slices of spicy sausage. Next in popularity are mushrooms. I have no real objection to mushrooms but hardly feel they are the most common or the most popular. But as in so many things, there is no accounting for tastes. I would think that the bland delicate taste of mushrooms would be overpowered by the sauce and other toppings. The next two popular toppings are ones with which I strongly concur: sausage and crushed hot red peppers. Next on the "popularity" list are green peppers, habanera peppers, black olives, crumbled beef (or pork), sweet red peppers, extra cheese and onions. While it was not mentioned, I am likely to add granulated garlic to the mix. (Best New York Pizza also offers salami, eggplant, bacon and assorted other stuff, but I limit consideration to that which I love or the most popular.)

I realize that I am somewhat set in my ways, but folks who named pineapple, Spam, and Feta cheese have serious personality flaws.

There are those who feel that one's birthday has a role to play in favorite pizza toppings. For those who follow their horoscopes, this may be an explanation for preferences! The following data applies to Joan and me.

Joan is a Taurus and, according to AOL's horoscope, she should like just about any pizza with a thick and chewy crust. In reality, she prefers a crisp well-done crust and, Heaven forbid, a chewy crust. As for me, I was born under the Pisces sign. As a Pisces, it is only appropriate that I enjoy anchovies on my pizza. I love the salty, fishy addition. Joan thinks anchovies belong in Caesar salad and on toast squares, but never on pizza. She has, however, redeeming attributes.

Meanwhile, at our newest favorite pizza joint, we order a "special" (pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onions) and, on one half, my anchovies.

With a beer or two, it is a perfect feast.

By the way, the pizza named for a queen is the Margherita Pizza named after Margherita of Savoy (1851-1926), Queen consort of Italy. The pizza is the colors of the Italian flag: red sauce, green basis and white cheese.

And what makes your perfect pizza?