Pizza: The Amazing History and Evolution

The delicious round flatbread with our choicest mouthwatering toppings - that's our Pizza. The mere mention of the name makes people hungry. As yummy as it tastes, it has an equally colorful history.

Essentially we all think pizza is Italian, but the pizza goes back to the early Greeks, who first baked flat, round flour breads called 'plakous' on stones and anointed them with oil, herbs, spices and dates. Virgil, a classical Roman poet from the 1st century B.C. mentions in his epic poem Aeneid, about a round flatbread baked by the soldiers of the Persian king, Darius the Great, on their shields. The soldiers called these as an edible plate or "trencher."

In the 1st Century AD, there lived a great culinary expert Apicius in Pompeii, who wrote a book of recipes "De Re Coquinaria", which gives an insight on the ancient Roman cuisine. Apicius wrote in this book about a dish which involved chicken, pine kernels, cheese, garlic, mint, pepper, and oil on a base of round baked bread. So, back in the 1st century AD, Roman's were pizza lovers as well.

Eventually, pizza traveled to Italy during the 19th Century and became the food of the common people. In 1889, as the story goes, Chef Rafaele Esposito of Pizzeria di Pietro e Basta Cosi, presently called as Pizzeria Brandi, baked three varieties of pizza to honor the visit of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. The Queen loved the pizzas and specially the one which had red tomato sauce, white mozzarella cheese and green basil leaves for topping, signifying the colors of the Italian flag. Named in the honor of the queen as Margherita Pizza, this variety of pizza is still the international standard. Pizzeria Brandi, now 200 years old, still displays the thank you note from the queen, signed in 1889. By the end of the 19th century, Pizza became so popular in Naples that they were sold for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Pizza traveled to the U.S. along with Italian immigrants in the late 19th century, but was not so popular. Pizzas shot into popularity when American soldiers who were stationed in Italy during the World War II, came back with a taste for Pizzas and it became one of the favorite foods of the Americans. Slowly, Pizza spread around the world and it still is one of the most sought after, mouthwatering food in the world. So go grab a slice of pizza now!!

Let me share with you some amazing facts about the pizza and its toppings around the world:

1. Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, which comes up to about 350 slices per second.

2. Each man, woman and child, eats an average of 46 slices of Pizza every year in America.

3. Pepperoni topping constitutes of 36% of all Pizza orders in America, which makes it the most loved topping in America.

4. Indians prefer tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, and paneer (a type of cottage cheese) for pizza toppings.

5. Brazilians love green peas as pizza toppings.

6. Japanese love Mayo Jaga (a combination of mayonnaise, potato and bacon), eel and squids on their pizzas.

7. Russians love Mockba, which is a combination of sardines, tuna, mackerel, salmons and onion, on their pizzas.

8. French people love Flambé, which is a combination of bacon, onion, and fresh cream, for pizza toppings.

9. Icelanders love vegetables as their pizza topping.

10. The Netherlanders love everything double on their pizza; double cheese, double onions, and double beef.

11. Saudi Arabians love 100% beef on their pizzas.

12. Australians love shrimps, pineapples, and barbeque toppings on their pizzas.

13. Costa Ricans love coconut on their pizzas.