What is pizza? Who invented pizza and when? What is the most delicious pizza? Italian pizza - the history of appearance, types, composition, recipes.

The history of the appearance of pizza goes back thousands of years and is almost as old as the entire history of mankind. As soon as the ancient man learned to bake stuffed cakes, this can already be considered the beginning of the history of pizza. Indeed, almost all the peoples inhabiting the Mediterranean region have used the method of baking bread cakes on stones over a layer of coal since ancient times. The flat cake was flavored with olive oil and seasonal vegetables. In addition, in those ancient times, such a cake was convenient because it simultaneously served as a plate.

Historians still have not come to a consensus about which of the ancient peoples can claim the title of inventor of this famous and popular dish all over the world.

The prototype of pizza can be called cakes baked in ancient Egypt about six thousand years ago, when yeast and sour dough appeared there.

There are references that back in the 5th century BC, Persian warriors on long military campaigns prepared a kind of flour cake with the addition of cheese and dates on combat flat shields. The legendary Etruscans, judging by the historical sources that have come down to us, also baked a similar dish.

But it was in ancient Greece that the method of making cakes was first used, which was later in demand in the preparation of pizza already familiar to us. The ancient Greeks laid out cheese, onions, various herbs and vegetables on raw dough, poured olive oil on it, and only then baked it. Such a flat round bread with all kinds of ingredients in the language of the inhabitants of Hellas was called "plakuntos". Even in the writings of Plato, a similar cake with cheese is mentioned when describing a festive feast.

The ancient Romans called this dish, borrowed from the Greeks, "placenta". The Romans somewhat complicated and diversified the recipe for "flat bread". In addition to cheese, olives and onions, any vegetables, bay leaves and even honey were placed on Roman cakes. The famous Roman writer Cato the Elder, who lived in the 2nd century BC, in his treatise "On Agriculture" described a cake made from dough with herbs and honey, smeared with olive oil and baked on stones.

True, there is another interpretation of the appearance of the prototype of pizza in the territory of Ancient Rome. There is a legend that the recipe for unleavened bread with vegetables, called "pizza", was brought from Palestine by Roman legionnaires.

Confirmation of the Mediterranean theory of the origin of pizza can be one of the first collections of culinary recipes "De Re Coquinaria", which was compiled during early Christianity by Mark Gavius ​​Apicius. One of the recipes in translation sounds something like this: “place olive oil, chicken pieces, cheese, nuts, garlic, mint, pepper on the dough and bake. Then cool in the snow - and serve. By the way, the remains of such a culinary masterpiece were discovered in the ash-covered city of Pompeii (near modern Naples).

Opponents of the "southern" origin of pizza in our time were Scandinavian ethnographers. Thus, the Norwegian scientist A. Rydbergolts, who studies the culture of the Vikings, concludes on the basis of archaeological finds that the frying pans of northern sailors were used to make flatbreads with vegetables, meat or fish, from which modern pizza originated.

But, regardless of the origin of such cakes, for a long time this unpretentious dish was considered the food of the poor. So, in Italy, rustic pizza is called "fokazzia". The real story of the formation of pizza as a dish for both the nobility and the commoners began with the appearance of tomatoes in Europe. Exotic tomatoes were brought to Europe from the New World by conquistadors in 1522. At first, tomatoes were considered a poisonous "devil's berry", however, after a while, the peasants tasted that they were not only edible, but also very tasty. The Neapolitan poor began to use tomatoes as a filling for traditional bread cakes.

In the 17th century, round cakes made of flour with olive oil, topped with tomatoes, bacon and herbs, became a very popular dish among Neapolitan peasants and sailors. They were prepared by special masters, who were called (and are still called) "pizzaioli". Usually, the bakers started preparing pizza in the early morning, which was then bought up by the sailors returning from the night's fishing. The classic pizza of the time was made with fresh tomatoes, anchovies, olive oil and garlic.

In the 18th century, the first pizzerias appeared, very similar to modern ones - a hearth, a marble bench for making pizza, a shelf with seasonings, tables for visitors and a showcase with pizza for sale that you can take with you. By this time, pizza had already ceased to be exclusively "village" food, they even began to serve it at the royal table. By order of the wife of the King of Naples, Queen Maria Carolina d'Asburgo Lorena (1752-1814), a special pizza oven was even built in her summer residence, which was treated to royal guests.

But this was not yet the final victory of pizza and its conquest of high society. The small Neapolitan kingdom was not a trendsetter in culinary fashion throughout Italy, fragmented into many dwarf states. The triumphal procession of real pizza began only after the unification of Italy in 1870.

Many sources tell us about how the most famous and most popular pizza, Margherita, was born. In 1889, King Umberto I of Italy and his wife Margherita of Savoy, while vacationing in Naples, wanted to try a signature Neapolitan dish - pizza. Raffaelle Esposito, the most famous pizzaioli at that time, was invited to make pizza. Going out of his way to please the royals, the baker made three different pizzas at once. One pizza was with tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, the other with cheese, bacon and basil, and for the topping of the third pizza, the master chose products of the same colors that the Italian flag is painted in - scarlet tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese and green basil. Margherita was so delighted with the "patriotic" pizza that she left a letter of thanks to the pizzaioli. Flattered, Esposito gave his culinary masterpiece the name of the queen. Margherita wished that the dish she liked so much was prepared exclusively in her palace, after which Margherita pizza earned the fame of the most exquisite food in Italy. Together with "Margarita", the pizzas "Marinara" and "Four Seasons" received recognition.

At the end of the 19th century, pizza became the most beloved dish in all of Italy, and pizza with anchovies and mushrooms was considered especially tasty. The expansion of pizza around the world began with the United States, where it penetrated along with a wave of Italian emigration at the turn of the century. In the "city of pizza" Chicago, it was sold on the streets for two cents a piece. In New York, in 1905, the "patriarch of pizza" Gennaro Lombardy opened the first pizzeria in America, which still operates today. In the forties, the United States also has its own "American pizza", the high edges of which allow you to add much more toppings.

After World War II, returning from the Italian theater of operations, American soldiers brought home and love for Italian cuisine. Pizza in the United States has gone beyond the Italian emigration and has become popular among all Americans. This was also facilitated by show business figures with Italian roots, the most famous of which was Frank Sinatra. And Dean Martin sang his song, which for Americans became an ode to pizza - "When the moon shines right in your eyes, like a big pizza."

So, having gone through a centuries-old path from a plain tortilla with filling to a star of the first magnitude in the culinary sky, pizza has conquered the whole world. Paying tribute to the role of the United States in popularizing pizza, it should be recognized that after all, Italy remains its homeland and the place where they cook the most delicious pizza in the world. Moreover, the scale of pizza baking per year in the Apennines is so great that every third person in the world, including babies, could get pizza from Italy. True, of the two and a half billion pizzas, only one and a half billion are exported outside of Italy, more are consumed within the country. Italians are so reverent about pizza that there are often lawsuits against unscrupulous or non-compliant producers, who are accused of encroaching on the “national treasure”.

In 1957, they began producing pizza in the form of semi-finished products that could be prepared very quickly and easily at home. The popularity of such a delicious and quick breakfast, lunch and dinner has grown to planetary proportions. According to surveys, about 80% of Internet users named pizza as their favorite dish. There are more than two hundred types of pizza, but the imagination of culinary specialists has no limits, and more and more new recipes are born, sometimes, in the conditions of national traditions, very exotic. So, in Japan, okonomiyaki pizza is popular, the main recipe of which is that everything “what you like” serves as additives - any seafood and vegetables, but, most importantly, all this should be sprinkled with dry tuna chips on top, which stirs from a couple of hot pizzas.

The variety of pizza recipes forced the Italian government to define the criteria for "real pizza" and introduce the quality mark for pizza - D.O.C. In the list of criteria, in the first place is the method of preparing the dough - only with your hands, throwing up and rotating, without the help of a rolling pin. Real pizza is baked only on wood at an oven temperature of 200-215 degrees.

Elena Unchikova

When you want something tasty and satisfying, something that will bring a large family around a large round table - all women start cooking pizza. Many people love it, but there are so many recipes for its preparation that there is not enough time to try everything.

A bit of history

There is a belief that pizza was "invented" by the Italians in the 17th century. But to be honest, this is not true, since its origin dates back to more ancient times. Flat cakes with a wide variety of fillings were used by the Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians and other Middle Eastern cultures. Initially, this bluelo was the food of commoners. Pizza comes from the ancient Greek word pita (meaning pie). Simple workers came up with an easy, tasty and quick recipe: a small piece of dough with different fillings was baked on top in the oven. So, in the period when pizza appeared, it really was the food of the poor.

Pizza in today's modern form appeared in Naples in the 19th century. Its creation is attributed to the famous baker Raffael Esposito. The story goes that the Italian monarch Umberto and his wife Margherita were touring their lands. And to show his patriotic spirit and impress, the baker came up with a tortilla whose ingredients reflected the colors of the Italian flag: green basil, white mozzarella cheese and red tomato. Soon, this new dish, pizza, began to be made all over the country.

Pizza dough - Webspoon recipe is the best!

The most delicious pizza is, of course, homemade pizza. Her recipe is very simple: the dough is rolled out in the shape of a circle, and tomatoes, sausage, bell peppers, onions, ham, mushrooms and olives are placed on top of it. Different recipes use shortbread, unleavened, puff or yeast dough. Each of them gives the dish a unique taste and make it unique in its own way.

The best cheese for making pizza is parmesan, mozzarella, suluguni, gouda and roquefort. Speaking of sauces, the best option is creamy, garlic, tomato or mushroom. Often, when preparing pizza at home, you can add minced meat, corn, sausages, beans, pumpkin, zucchini, cottage cheese, eggs, rice or fruit. This is a matter of taste for each person.

Mushroom Pizza - Webspoon Recipe

Mushroom pizza is incredibly tasty and extremely simple. For such a pizza, you can use any mushrooms (frozen, pickled or dried).

Dough Ingredients:

• flour - 500 gr.;
• warm water - 1 tbsp.;
• eggs - 2 pcs.;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
• salt - 0.5 tsp;
• vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• dry yeast - 1 sachet.

Filling Ingredients:

• hard cheese - 300 gr.;
• sausage - 300 gr.;
• champignons - 300-400 gr.;
• tomato - 2-3 pcs.;
• bulb - 1 pc.;
• ketchup, parsley, dill

Note: These ingredients will make 2 medium pizzas.

Cooking process:

Sift flour and mix it with yeast. Add sugar, vegetable oil and salt. Pour in water and mix well. Now add beaten eggs. Knead the dough until a homogeneous consistency. Cover bowl with dough and set aside for about an hour. Clean the washed mushrooms and then cut them into small slices. Cut the onion into rings. Cut the sausage into small pieces. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater. Wash the tomatoes and cut into slices. Fry the onion a little in a pan and add the mushroom plates. Pour the dough into the prepared pan. Spread ketchup on top, and add mushrooms with onions. Put the tomatoes and sausage on the mushrooms. Sprinkle everything with herbs and grated cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven (200°C) for about 25-30 minutes.

By learning how to cook hearty and delicious pizza, you will receive many praises from satisfied friends and relatives! And our site will provide recipes for a variety of pizza options. Enjoy your meal!

See also our other recipes - you just need to go here.

Sauce and melted cheese. Cheese (usually mozzarella) is the main ingredient in pizza toppings. One of the most popular dishes in the world, both in home cooking and in restaurants, cafes and fast food.

Story

A pizza seller (pizzaiolo) in an 1830 painting

The prototype of pizza was some dishes served on slices of bread in the homes of the ancient Greeks and Romans. In connection with the importation of tomatoes into Europe in 1522, Italian pizza first appeared in Naples. In the 17th century, a special kind of bakers appeared, pizzaiolo (Italian “pizzaiolo”), who prepared pizza for Italian peasants.

The wife of the Neapolitan king Ferdinand IV, Maria-Caroline of Habsburg-Lorraine (-), and later the Italian king Umberto I and his wife Margherita of Savoy, in whose honor one of the recipes and a type of pizza was named - margarita. Although there is an opinion that this is just a legend. Pizza came to the USA at the end of the second half of the 19th century along with Italian immigrants and first appeared, apparently, in Chicago. In 1957, convenience pizza was introduced. By the end of the 20th century, ready-made frozen semi-finished pizzas became widespread, which are enough to be heated in a microwave or oven before use.

Cooking

Rolling out pizza dough

Wood-fired pizza baking in a specially equipped oven

Baking pizza on an open fire

frozen pizza

Knife for cutting pizza.

The classic pizza dough is made from special flour (Farina Di Grano Tenero, tipo 00), natural yeast (sourdough), salt and water. The dough is kneaded by hand and sent for a two-hour rest, after which it is divided into balls and sent for a long rest - about 8 hours. The base for pizza is formed from the ball with hands, the dough is covered with tomato sauce or its analogues. After that, it is possible to add almost any fillings. The classic pizza is baked in a special wood-burning oven, which is called pompeii and has the shape of a dome in the form of a hemisphere. There are also hearth and conveyor ovens for baking pizza. In wood-burning stoves, fire is lit on one side; the heat from it, rising up, falls into the focus of the sphere and is reflected in the center of the furnace in the middle of the hearth, heating it. In this regard, pizza in such an oven is cooked for about 90 seconds, and at home - in an oven preheated to 250-275 ° C for 8 to 10 minutes.

eating pizza

Eating pizza with your hands

The traditional classic large "collective" pizza is cut radially with a special knife into 4, 6, 8, etc. slices before use.

There is a version of pizza designed for one person - pizzetta, which does not require cutting.

Famous types of pizza

Recently, vegetarian pizzas have become popular, which can be either without meat, dairy products, and even without the use of wheat flour, which is used to make dough. The dough itself is made from crushed flax seeds, carrots, celery and zucchini. All components are mixed, a cake is formed and dried in a device that evaporates moisture.

Pizza in the USA

Due to the widespread influence of Italian and Greek immigrants on American culture, pizza has become very widespread in the United States. There are a fairly large number of regional types of pizza that have only a distant resemblance to the Italian original. The thickness of the crust depends on the preferences of the consumer; pizza on thick and thin dough is equally popular. Often, when creating new types of pizza, such purely American products as BBQ chicken or bacon are used.

Ingredients

American pizza often has vegetable oil in its dough, not always olive oil, which is impossible to find in traditional Italian recipes. The quantity and composition of the filling, as well as the size of the pizza itself, can vary over a very wide range. Sometimes the pizza topping is called a topping, which is a bit of a misnomer. In addition, American pizza (at least thin-crust pizza) uses flour with a high gluten content (often 13-14%). Such a dough can be stretched without tearing.

Various toppings may be added, usually these are:

• Tomato sauce is a common substitute for tomato paste used in Italian pizzas, a fairly heavily spiced, low water, smooth sauce. For example, barbecue sauce is sometimes used.
• Cheese, usually mozzarella, but also provolone, cheddar, parmesan, feta, and other cheeses.
• Fruits and vegetables: garlic, artichoke hearts, eggplant, olives, capers, onions, spinach, tomatoes, red peppers, green chili peppers, pineapple and others.
• Mushrooms, usually champignons, rarely truffles.
• Meat products: salami sausages, pepperoni, Italian ham, bacon, beef, as well as chicken meat.
• Seafood: anchovies, tuna, salmon, shrimp, octopus, squid, mussels.
• Herbs and spices: basil, oregano, black pepper, chili pepper.
• Nuts: cashews, pistachios and pine nuts.
• Oil: olive, walnut or truffle.

In some recipes, tomato sauce is either absent (white pizza) or replaced with another sauce (most often garlic oil, but also sauces with spinach and onions). In Philadelphia, there are tomato pizzas that contain only sauce, or sauce with ripe Roman tomatoes and spices without cheese, as well as upside down pizzas that have cheese on the bottom and are covered with sauce on top. Pizza is eaten hot (usually for lunch or dinner), the remaining pieces that have cooled down are used for breakfast.

Types of American pizza

New York pizza(New York-style pizza) - a type of pizza, born in New York, brought by immigrants from Naples - the birthplace of pizza. Often has an impressive size, the slices are thin and flexible. The dough is kneaded by hand and uses a moderate amount of sauce and cheese. New York pizza can be considered an enlarged version of the Neapolitan pizza. Pizza slices are always eaten folded in half or even stacked on top of each other, due to the size and flexibility of the crust. This type of pizza dominates the northeastern states. If a resident of the United States says "pizza" - then most likely he means exactly the New York version of its execution. Many pizzerias in New York offer two main types of pizza: "Neapolitan" or "plain" pizza, which has a thinner round crust, and "Sicilian" or "rectangular", with a thicker dough, cut into rectangular pieces. Another type of pizza, more popular in Long Island (less often in the Queens and Manhattan areas) is grandma's pizza(Grandma pizza). This pizza has a rectangular shape and a thin, crispy crust. Has less than usual amount of cheese. Sometimes spices and butter are mixed into the dough.

Pizza New Haven(New Heaven-style pizza), also known as pizza, popular among Southern Connecticut residents. Pizza has a thin crust, which can be either soft or quite hard, depending on the specific manufacturer. By default, a variant of "white" pizza is used, seasoned only with garlic and hard cheese; customers who want to add tomato sauce or mozzarella must ask for it separately. The pizza has a very dark, "scorched" crispy crust that is bitter in taste, offset by the sweetness of the tomato or other toppings.

Greek pizza(Greece-style pizza) is a variant popular in New England; popularized in pizzerias owned by Greek immigrants. The pizza has a thicker crust and is baked in a pan in an oven rather than directly on the stone. Regular olive oil is part of the topping and is also used to grease the pan and get a crisp on the crust. Pizza recipes used in other parts of the country include feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and Greek spices such as oregano.

Chicago thin crust pizza(Chicago-style thin-crust pizza) has a thinner crust than the Chicago-style deep dish and is baked flat rather than shaped. The crust, although thin, has sufficient firmness, unlike New York pizza. The crust is smeared with a southern Italian tomato sauce that uses herbs and wine, and usually contains no visible tomato pieces. Then a layer of filling is added and a layer of mozzarella cheese, which often separates from the crust due to the tomato sauce. The pizza is cut into three to four squares (8-10 cm) rather than into wedges, as is usually done. Due to the small size of the pieces, there is no need to stack the pizza. Chicago thin-crust pizza is common throughout the Midwest of the United States. The most famous pizza chains are Aurelio's Pizza, Home Run Inn and Rosati's Pizza.

St. Louis pizza(St. Louis-style pizza) is a thin-crust variant of Chicago pizza popular in St. Louis, Missouri, as well as Southern Illinois. The most striking difference is the use of spent cheese (Provel) instead of mozzarella. A mixture of these cheeses is less commonly used. The filling usually consists of fresh ingredients cut into cubes. Common to this type of pizza is the presence of large pieces of onion on top, sliced ​​\u200b\u200bpaprika rings and a whole strip of bacon. In the case of ordering pizza with sausage or other meat products, the meat is choked with hands. The thin dough becomes crispy after cooking and is sometimes compared to a cracker. Despite the round crust, the pizza is cut into square pieces.

california pizza(California-style pizza) is made from non-traditional ingredients. Preference is given to fresh products. A popular variant, Thai Chicken Pizza, is made with peanut sauce, bean sprouts, carrots, and barbecue sauce on top. This recipe originated at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California and was popularized by California Pizza Kitchen, Wolfgang Puck's, and others.

Hawaiian pizza(Hawaiian pizza) is made with Canadian bacon (or sliced ​​ham), pineapple and mozzarella cheese. This type of pizza is especially popular in the western United States, as well as in Australia, Canada and Sweden, but not in the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian pizza is also popular in Europe.

Canadian pizza(Canadian-style pizza). Pizza with marinara sauce, a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, pepperoni, bacon (usually not Canadian), mushrooms, chopped white onions, is very popular in Ontario. The mixture of oregano, parsley and garlic is reminiscent of the Montreal way of preparing spices. The cake is thick, often decorated with garlic.

taco pizza(Taco pizza). For the filling, she uses ingredients typical of taco making, such as lettuce, minced beef, ham, chopped tomatoes, avocado, corn chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and taco sauce.

grilled pizza(Grilled pizza), invented in Providence, Rhode Island (Providence, Rhode Island), has a fairly thin crust, baked on the grill, after cooking, the pizza turns over, so the filling is located on the baked side.

English pancakes(English muffin) french bread(French bread pizza) and pizza bagel(pizza bagels) - common pizza analogues that can be cooked at home using an ordinary oven or toaster. Require the addition of sauce, grated cheese and pepperoni. French bread is also available as a semi-finished product.

Pizza Nick-O-Pain(Nic-o-boli) is a baked product produced by the Nicola Pizza company, made with ingredients typical of stromboli and shaped like a calzone.

Pizza in Japan

There are also a large number of films where pizza delivery scenes occur and pizza delivery men appear among the secondary and even main characters.

Gallery

American with pepperoni, peppers, olives and mushrooms





Square



pizza roll



Israeli pizza matzo



Chinese (Hong Kong)



Pie (Ohio)



Hawaiian with pineapples



White with mushrooms (Bali)



With fried mushrooms and katsu sauce



With mushrooms and sausages



with truffles



With potatoes (Denmark)



With shrimp and salad

Among the dishes that have won recognition around the world, pizza is in the first place. The history of its creation is lost for centuries. Perhaps pizza was one of the first dishes that the ancients learned to cook. Archaeologists say that flat pieces of dough sprinkled with plant seeds were baked by our distant ancestors on hot stones. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians roasted flatbreads in ovens and smeared them with butter and cheese.

An analogue of modern pizza appeared in ancient Rome around 1000 BC. in the area between Naples and Rome. It was there that they first began to put meat, smoked meats, olives and bake on cakes. Most culinary historians point to Naples as the origin of pizza, and the Neapolitan pizza is considered the ancestor of all pizzas.

Modern pizza is a combination of flatbread, tomato sauce and cheese.

The word "pizza" probably comes from the word "pita" (bread). It is known that in ancient Rome, flat bread was used as a plate. Cooked food was put on a hard barley cake. were rare, and the second piece of cake served as a kind of spoon. Cakes were baked specifically for this purpose, and after eating, those who were poorer ate the “plate”, and those who were richer threw the cake soaked in sauce to the dogs. Later, especially for the foremother of modern pizza, tortillas began to be made from better flour and were eaten regardless of wealth.

The obligatory ingredient of pizza is cheese, an ancient product invented by pastoral peoples. The best pizza cheese is mozzarella. Soft, delicate cheese, traditionally made from buffalo milk, appeared in the 15th century in the same Naples. Currently, mozzarella is made mainly from cow's milk. But if you try, you can find real buffalo cheese somewhere in Salerno. However, such a luxury is not suitable for pizza - it is a democratic and cheap dish.

Tomato sauce is a New World ingredient. At first, Europeans looked at tomatoes with fear and distrust, but, in the end, the tomato took root. The climate and soils, in particular the regions of Iberia, where they first “tasted” and began to grow tomatoes, were perfect for the new crop. The first written mention of the tomato in Italy dates back to 1544, where it was recommended to roast it and eat it with salt and pepper. And in 1692, the first recipe for Italian tomato sauce with chili peppers appeared. The creation of modern pizza was just around the corner.

Alas, we will never know the name of the genius who was the first to combine bread, tomato sauce and cheese into a single culinary masterpiece. However, the invention of the modern pizza is attributed to the baker Raffaele Esposito from Naples. In 1889, the Esposito restaurant, where a flatbread called “pizza” baked over an open fire, was visited by King Umberto I of Italy and his wife Queen Margherita of Savoy. A cunning chef, especially for the royals, came up with a new pizza, for the preparation of which, like a true patriot, he used tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil - products of the colors of the national flag of Italy. And he named her, you guessed it, in honor of the queen.

Pizza has become fabulously popular, and many varieties of it have appeared. For example, pizza marinara - the so-called "pizza of the sailors", which is easy to prepare on a voyage, since it does not require perishable products. For its preparation, tomatoes, garlic, oregano and caught anchovies are enough. The Italians came up with calzone (closed pizza in the form of a pie), maniata pizza (soft), pizza (miniature), Bianca pizza (without tomatoes). Not to list all pizza recipes.

Italian immigrants brought the recipe for the beloved burger to the United States in the early 1900s. However, it wasn't until the 1950s that pizza gained widespread adoption and acceptance in America.

Today pizza is an international dish. In addition to classic Italian, different countries make pizza with a national flavor, adjusting recipes according to local tastes. So, in Pakistan they like pizza with spicy chicken, in Hawaii they add pineapple, and in Australia crocodile or kangaroo meat. Pizza is baked with beans, and in Russia they can easily be seasoned with mayonnaise. Pizza does not lose its amazing taste, even subjected to unpredictable folk culinary creativity.

Yet the exact place and time of the appearance of pizza, not to mention the name of the inventor, remains a mystery. It is doubtful that historians will ever know who first decided to roll out a piece of dough, put all the most delicious on it and bake it. Perhaps the question of who invented pizza is not important. The main thing is that it was invented, and every day humanity eats a huge amount of this simple and at the same time brilliant culinary masterpiece with pleasure.

From the history of pizza

Everyone believes that the birthplace of pizza is Italy. Pizza has indeed become a traditional Italian dish, but in fact, Italians, like many other things, borrowed this dish from the Greeks.

The Greeks, among other talents, were also wonderful bakers. Apparently, it was they who began to put cheese and various additives on flat bread even before baking, on raw dough. An ancient Greek dish called "plakuntos" is known - a flat round bread stuffed with butter, garlic, onions, herbs and olives.

According to one legend, the Roman legionnaires who returned from Palestine brought with them a dish called "pitea" which was bread (possibly unleavened) on which various vegetables were placed. According to other sources, more reliable, the Romans simply changed the Greek "plakuntos", starting to use cheese and other ingredients more widely. This dish was called "plakenta".

The ancient book of Apicius contains recipes for the prototypes of the current pizza - olive oil, pieces of chicken meat, cheese, nuts, garlic, mint, pepper were placed on the dough in various combinations - almost all the ingredients of modern pizza. One of the recipes ended with the Latin words: "Insuper nive, et inferes", that is, "Cool in the snow - and serve." Pieces of this dish were found during the excavations of Pompeii near the Greek colony of Neopolis, which eventually became modern Naples.

We are used to the fact that tomatoes are an invariable attribute of pizza. But they appeared in Europe only in 1522. Only over time, these vegetables began to be added to pizza. By the 17th century, this dish became widely known and popular, and its manufacturers were already called by the proud name of "pizzaioli", which is still called the masters of making real Italian pizza. In the Middle Ages, pizza was considered a low-class food of the common people, like modern sandwiches, hamburgers and sandwiches.

But the path to the worldwide popularity of pizza ran through the New World, from where tomatoes were once brought to Europe. Pizza comes to America along with numerous Italian emigrants of the late 19th century. It is beginning to be sold on the streets - the first American "city of pizza" was Chicago, where it could be purchased for two cents a piece.

It is said that the first American pizzeria was opened in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi. It happened in New York. In America, Lombardi is called the "Patriarch of Pizza", and his pizzeria is still successfully operating. In the 1940s, "American Pizza" is invented - with high edges and more toppings. And after the Second World War, American soldiers, unable to forget Italian pizza, returned it to its former popularity.

What are they like

Italians themselves do not recognize pizza that is not made in Italy. They say, “That's not pizza! It's a pie!"

In 2004, the "authentic" Neapolitan pizza recipe was published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, the official newspaper of the Italian government. Real pizza, according to the government, should have a thin crust. In its manufacture, you can use only special varieties of tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Only basil, garlic, oregano and olive oil are allowed as additives. If these rules are violated during the preparation of a dish, this is not a real pizza, but simply a fake.

Real Neapolitan pizza, according to the government newspaper, comes in only three varieties: "Margherita" (with fresh oblong San Marzano tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella cheese from the southern Apennines), "Margherita-Extra" (cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella ) and "Marinara" (tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano).

Pizza dough needs to be tossed and rotated in your hands, as real pizzaioli do, but you can’t roll it out. You need to bake pizza only in a wood-fired oven at a temperature of 200-215 degrees. The recipe for real pizza took three pages in the government newspaper.

In Italy, pizzerias are checked by special government inspectors who monitor the authenticity of Neapolitan pizza.

Almost every nation adds something of its own to pizza recipes. Each pizza becomes a real work of art. But perhaps the most unusual pizza is the Japanese okonomiyaki pizza.

"Okonomiyaki" can literally be translated as follows - "fry what you like." We are talking about the filling of the dish, which is a large ruddy fried dough cake with seafood and vegetables, well greased with a special sauce and sprinkled with dried tuna chips on top. Outwardly, the whole building resembles a pizza. And the transparent petals of tuna, moving from the vapors of the hot air of the finished "pizza", cause a rather strange sensation - it seems that you are bringing a living creature to your mouth.

Due to the fact that many do not have enough time to eat during the working day, an Italian architect invented a pizza that can be rolled up into a cone to make it convenient to eat on the go.

The invention was presented at the traditional Milan exhibition and is wildly popular. The point of the invention is that pizza could compete on equal terms with hamburgers. Kiosks for the sale of conical pizza are also supposed to be built in a conical shape. In all other respects, it will be a classic Italian pizza without any recently fashionable additives like pineapples. This new addition to the range of fast food dishes was called Kono pizza.

Pizza and health

In addition to the fact that pizza is very tasty, it is also healthy, but, of course, when consumed within reasonable limits.

Pizza consumption may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. This conclusion was made by researchers from the Milan Institute of Pharmacology as a result of a survey of over 8,000 Italians. According to the results of the study, those who eat pizza up to several times a week have a lower risk of getting sick than those who have never eaten it. This effect is given by tomato sauce along with spices and seasonings, as well as unleavened pizza dough, which does not cause fermentation in the stomach.

Pizza is also an excellent means of protection from adverse solar radiation. If you eat a piece of pizza before going to the beach, you can save yourself from sunburn. According to scientists, thanks to pizza, a unique balance of substances is created in the human skin layer, which prevents the skin from absorbing ultraviolet rays.

The main product that creates a protective effect, scientists called the tomato, which increases skin resistance by almost 2 times. Next comes olive oil. It, in combination with tomatoes, gives almost three times protection from the sun's rays. In addition to these products, pizza also includes cheese, flour, eggs, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and this combination can give almost a sixfold "anti-tan" effect. One pizza provides protection for 2 weeks. After the expiration of this period, a new dose of anti-tanning food is needed.

What does a good pizza look like?

Pizza is tasty and healthy food, but… only if it is a fresh and high-quality product. The packaging will help make sure.

In civilized countries, pizza packaging (often flashed on Russian TV in frames of foreign films and TV shows) is most often a cardboard box (smart), but sometimes it’s just cling film with a label stuck on. However, the main thing in this matter is not that the "suit fits", but the internal advantages of the product. To determine such advantages, you need to carefully look at the pizza.

Both the box and the film must indicate the terms and conditions of storage and the date of manufacture. If you are "guaranteed" the first freshness even for a whole year - the guarantors, to put it mildly, are cunning, and it remains to be seen what is more in such a pizza - freshness or preservatives?

Pizza can keep its natural freshness in the freezer (!) only for 3 months. Be sure to list on the packaging the ingredients contained in the product, including flavors and preservatives. The energy (nutritional) value, the content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins should also be indicated.

Look for information about the location of the manufacturer (address and phone numbers), since any consumer must be sure that he will be able to express his wishes about the product not in the emptiness of a PO box, but in the face of the manufacturer.

The barcode should contain information about the country, company and product specifics, and the designation of a regulatory or technical document will show in accordance with what criterion the product is manufactured and can be identified. The method of preparation on the package is optional, but desirable. Such an inscription emphasizes that the manufacturer takes maximum care of our complete and unadulterated taste pleasure.

Only if the packaging meets all these requirements, you can expect that you have a quality product.

Pizza in the record book

The largest pizza with a diameter of 37.4 meters was baked on December 8, 1990 in a hypermarket in Norwood (South Africa). Norwood pizza was 3.5 meters larger in diameter than the previous record holder - a pizza baked by Pizza Hut (Singapore) in 1990. The Norwood pizza required 4500 kg of flour, 90 kg of salt, 1800 kg of cheese and 900 kg of tomato puree.

Here it is, familiar and unknown pizza, healthy and insanely delicious. It doesn't matter that Italian chefs call our pizza "Russian pie", because we add everything that is in the house to it. The main thing is that we like it, and the rest, from our point of view, is trifles.