The Americans Love Affair With Pizza

Pizza originated in the Mediterranean regions in the 10th century and developed from a basic flatbread that is similar to what we know of today as a focaccia style to a delicious cheesy topping filled delicacy that you can have delivered or eat in a restaurant.

The first appearance of the pizza in the United States came with the arrival of the immigrants from Italy in the late 1800s. It became popular in the larger cities where the largest amount of Italians moved into, such as New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia where, just like Italy of old, it was sold on the street corners in these Italian neighborhoods. Soon, it was offered in grocery stores all over these cities.

The first time that pizza is mentioned in written form in the United States was in the Boston Journal in 1903. The first pizza that was served in the United States was in Manhattan's Little Italy by Gennaro Lombardi in his grocery store, which later became America's first pizzeria. He sold it by the pie or by the slice. Trenton New Jersey is another place that is known in the early days of American pizza. Most of these early East coast pizzerias are still in operation by the family that started them and remain very popular to this day.

Another popular pizza in the United States is the deep dish, which originated in Chicago in 1943 when Ric Ricardo opened Pizzeria Uno. This type usually has a biscuit like crust that rises on the sides of the pan and is loaded with layers of delicious toppings. Chicago is now home to many different pizzerias that specialize in this decadent style. Chicago is also home to the stuffed version that has two layers of crust with the toppings in between.

As the popularity of this delicious cheesy dish began to increase, the chain restaurants began to make a foothold in this industry in 1954 with Shakey's and Pizza Hut as well as some of the modern entries that serve a modern take on the original, such as California Pizza Kitchen, Godfather's, and Round Table.

With the rise of sporting events and family gatherings in the 1990s and 2000s, the industry now revolves around companies that specialize in delivery or take and bake options, such as Dominos and Papa Murphy's.

As recently as 2011, pizza was declared to have an acceptable serving of vegetables by the Congress of the United States, so if you enjoy pizza and are concerned with your food intake, you can enjoy an occasional slice without guilt if eaten in a moderate amount.