Let's Talk Pizza Origins

Everywhere you look, you see folks eating pizza. They are eating it at home, at baseball stadiums, and at local restaurants. This Italian pie can be ordered in a variety of crusts, sizes, and with an endless amount of toppings. You can pretty much put anything you want on a pie. Toppings including pineapple, bacon, anchovies, and mushrooms are often eaten on pies. There are people who like odd toppings on their pies, as well. Things like eggs, fish, and peanut butter have all been eaten on pies.

Italian pies can be traced back to when the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Israelites were chowing down on flat breads that were made in mud ovens. The flat breads were much like a pita. Pita bread is still very popular today in Greece and the Middle East. People from the Mediterranean, including the Greeks and Romans, ate the cooked flat bread topped with olive oil and spices. But the way we eat it today came about in the 1800s, when a baker from Naples, Italy made flat bread for royalty that was visiting. His flat bread was made with foods that had the colors of the flag of Italy including red tomato, green basil, and white mozzarella cheese. It was enjoyed so much that bakers everywhere began to copy the idea. And so spread the love of Italian pies, not just in Italy, but also in every country.

There are various types of tools used to make the Italian pie, but the four basic ones are a pie cutter, flat stone, mezzaluna, and a masonry oven. The cutter is also known as a wheel and is used to slice the pie after it is cooked. The cutter blade cuts clean, even slices. It is much easier for slicing than your standard kitchen knife. A flat stone is used to cook it in the ovens. The stone is commonly used because it distributes the heat evenly from the oven to cook the pie. A mezzaluna is a type of knife that has a curved blade with a handle on each end. It is sometimes used to slice the pie, but is mainly used to chop herbs or pesto for pizza toppings.

Pizza is a fun food for all ages because you can eat it with your hands and it can be enjoyed hot or cold. How many of us have ordered fresh, hot pizza on a Friday night only to put the leftovers in the fridge? You wake up the next morning and open the fridge and there is the pizza box starring at you. Do you take a slice or two and heat it up in the microwave or oven? Well, some people might, but most just open the box, grab a piece, and eat it cold. Italian pie is served on regular plates in some pizzerias but at home, most of us use a napkin, paper towel, or paper plate.