A pizza story began approximately in the 6th century BC. C., when Mediterranean peoples, such as Egyptians and Greeks, invented a recipe for a kind of Arabic bread with a flat, very thin, disc-shaped dough. The food had water and wheat flour as ingredients.
It is believed that, over time, said bread was adapted by people from other cultures, such as the Phoenicians and Romans. These people began to season it, covering it with oils, herbs and vegetables.
The bread that, in the future, would be called pizza only arrived in Italy in the 16th centuryII, more specifically to the province of Naples, located in the Campania region, in the south of the country. Initially, covered bread was sold on the street and known as the “poor man's dish”, because it was cheap.
With time, the Italians perfected the recipe, placing more varied toppings or fillings on top of the dough. Italy's first pizza flavors were mastonic, which had basil, lard, cheese and pepper, and cecinielli, with pieces of fish.
The oldest pizzeria in the world is called Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba and opened in 1738 in Naples, Italy. The restaurant still exists today.
Read too: What is the history of the feijoada?
How is Italian pizza?
Italian pizza became popular for being simple and quick to make. the mass is formed per flour, olive oil, salt and yeast. One of the curiosities is that the flour is made from pure wheat beaten in a stone pestle. Fresh tomato sauce and the cheese they areplaced on the dough and are the items that complete the base of Italian pizza recipes. When ready, the pizza is placed in a mold and thené assadThe in an ovenO the firewood.
→ Napolitan Pizza
Raised in the Italian city of Naples, the Neapolitan é one of Pizzas more traditionalisfrom Italy and gets its name because it was in this city that pizza as it is known today emerged.
In order to avoid falsifications and imitations, in 2009, The European Union created a law establishing a stamp for real Neapolitan pizza. According to the law, the original Neapolitan pizza recipe from Italy must have the following characteristics:
Pasta: a maximum diameter of 35 cm and a height of one to two cm.
Filling: peeled tomato, buffalo mozzarella from Campania, garlic, olive oil and basil (aromatic leaves).
→ Margherita pizza
Margarita é one of the pizza flavors most famoussfrom the Italy and one of the most requested world. Below are the margarita ingredients:
dough (flour, olive oil, salt and yeast);
fresh tomato sauce;
buffalo mozzarella;
basil leaves.
◦ History of Margherita Pizza
In 1889, the Queen Consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, tasted the recipe for a pizza invented by Neapolitan chef Raffaele Esposito and loved it., especially since the delicacy had foods that represented the flag of Italy: white, red and green. Having pleased her majesty, chef Raffaele Esposito decided to name his new flavor of marguerita pizza in honor of the queen.
Italy's margherita pizza is the 11th best dish in the world of 2022, according to the Taste Atlas study.
→ Other flavors of Italian pizza
The flavors of Italian pizza vary by region of the country. In addition to Neapolitan and marguerita, there are other flavors considered traditional. See them below:
marinara: tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and olive oil;
4 stages: tomato sauce, mozzarella, black olives, ham, artichokes, and mushrooms;
diavola: tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil, American salami or pepperoni, and spicy olive oil;
capricciosa: artichoke, mushrooms, raw ham, and black olives;
parmiggiana: tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, eggplant, mozzarella, and basil.
pizza in the world
After the success made by the margherita pizza, this dish became knownO all around the world, and so it became popular. Pizza arrived in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, brought by Italian immigrants. The first pizzeria opened in the United States was called Lombardi's. The restaurant was created by Gennaro Lombardi in 1905 and is still located today on Spring Street, in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York.
Pizzerias only became popular in the United States after World War II.. That's because, on the way back from the war, the soldiers wanted to eat some of the foods they consumed when they were out of the country, including pizza, consumed when they were in Italian cities.
From there, quickly, the mass pleased the population, and, over the years, Italians set up pizzerias around the world, also developing the delivery system.
See too: What is the history of sugar?
Pizza in Brazil
The pizza arrived in Brazil in the 19th century through Italian immigrants. The first pizzeria in Brazil was set up by the Italian pizzaiolo Carmino Corvino. In 1910, the chef opened Cantina Santa Genoveva, in the São Paulo neighborhood known as Brás.
The main difference between Italian pizza and Brazilian pizza is that the former emphasizes the dough and sauce more, with a lighter topping. The pizzas from here usually have thicker toppings and multiple ingredients.
→ Most ordered pizza flavors in Brazil
See below the five flavors of pizza most ordered by Brazilians:
pepperoni: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices;
Portuguese: tomato sauce, boiled eggs, onion, olives, peas, cheese and ham;
margherita: you can follow the traditional Italian recipe or buffalo mozzarella can be replaced by traditional mozzarella.
chicken with catupiry: tomato sauce, pieces of chicken, mozzarella and catupiry cheese on top;
mozzarella: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and oregano on top.
pizza day
The Pizza Day is celebrated on July 10 in Brazil. The origin of the commemorative date goes back to 1985, when the then Secretary of Tourism of São Paulo, Caio Luiz de Carvalho, held a cultural contest to choose the best marguerita and mozzarella. The contest was so successful that, since then, July 10th is considered Pizza Day in Brazil, the date on which most pizzerias in Brazil offer promotions and discounts.
By Silvia Tancredi
Journalist
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/historia-da-pizza.htm