Evolution of Pizza
Tracing the history of the first pizza is a surprisingly controversial subject.
Some claim that this popular food is based on early unleavened breads served in
the early centuries in Rome. Others trace a connection from modern pizza back to
the pita breads of Greece.
It's fairly well established that the pizza as we know it today was created in
Naples, Italy. It was designed to honor the visit of Queen Margherita to Naples
in 1889, and was decorated it with the colors of the Italian flag, using white
cheese, green basil, and red tomatoes. (Tomatoes, which had arrived from the
west about 60 years earlier, were originally thought to be poisonous), At this
time, however, they had become a significant part of Italian cuisine.
As the years passed and the turn of the century came about, Italian immigrants
brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria was opened in
America in 1905. It remained popular almost exclusively among immigrants until
the end of World War II, when American soldiers returned to their home soil and
brought back a love of the pizza they had discovered overseas. With that, the
pizza boom in America began and this food became a mainstream meal instead of an
underground Italian snack.
The concentration of Italian immigrants in New York in those days explains why
so many people feel you must visit New York to get true pizzeria-style pizza.
It's where the pizza got its American start. No one who has experienced New York
style pizza will disagree. New York is famous for its pizzerias. A true slice of
New York pizza consists of a thin wide crust loaded with plenty of toppings and
marinara, all smothered in heady Italian seasonings. A side of garlic bread,
some heady pastas, and tortellinis usually round out the menu. Pizzerias in New
York are not for the faint of heart.
It is believed that the first pizzeria in Chicago was Pizzeria Uno, opened in
1943 by Ike Sewell. Sewell's pizza creation was a new twist on the old New York
standard. It took pizza in a different direction. He created what is known today
as deep-dish pizza, where the pizza is sunk low into a deeper pan and the crust
is allowed to rise in thick bubbles around the edges. People flocked to Sewell's
pizzeria, and a whole new way of looking at this favorite food was born.
To this day you can find yourself in some pretty heated debates if you argue
with a New Yorker or a Chicagoan about what constitutes authentic pizzeria-style
pizza. But whatever crust style you choose, pizza is a unique food with a foggy
past and a definite appeal that has lasted through many incarnations.
So you're lucky enough to find yourself in New York or Chicago, or any city for
that matter that has a true pizzeria, complete with checked tablecloths and
plenty of garlic on the menu, indulge yourself in an old tradition and order a
slice. After all, its tradition.