Pizza

The oldest recorded usage of the word "pizza" is from a Latin text from the town of Gaeta, then still part of the Byzantine Empire, in 997 AD; the text states that a tenant of certain property is to give the bishop of Gaeta duodecim pizze ("twelve pizzas") every Christmas Day, and another twelve every Easter Sunday.[2][13]

Suggested etymologies include:

• Byzantine Greek and Late Latin pitta > pizza, cf. Modern Greek pitta bread and the Apulia and Calabrian (then Byzantine Italy) pitta,[14] a round flat bread baked in the oven at high temperature sometimes with toppings. The word pitta can in turn be traced to either Ancient Greek πικτή (pikte), "fermented pastry", which in Latin became "picta", or Ancient Greek πίσσα (pissa, Attic πίττα, pitta), "pitch",[15][16] or πήτεα (pḗtea), "bran" (πητίτης pētítēs, "bran bread").[17]
• The Etymological Dictionary of the Italian Language explains it as coming from dialectal pinza "clamp", as in modern Italian pinze "pliers, pincers, tongs, forceps". Their origin is from Latin pinsere "to pound, stamp".[18]
• The Lombardic word bizzo or pizzo meaning "mouthful" (related to the English words "bit" and "bite"), which was brought to Italy in the middle of the 6th century AD by the invading Lombards.[2][19] The shift b>p could be explained by the High German consonant shift, and it has been noted in this connection that in German the word Imbiss means "snack".

A small pizza is sometimes called a "pizzetta".[20] A person who makes pizza is known as a "pizzaiolo".[21]

The word "pizza" was borrowed from Italian into English in the 1930s; before it became well known, pizza was called "tomato pie" by English speakers. Some regional pizza variations still use the name tomato pie.[22]

An ancient Roman precursor of pizza shown on a fresco in Pompeii

A pizzaiolo in 1830

Records of people adding other ingredients to bread to make it more flavorful can be found throughout ancient history. In the 6th century BC, the Persian soldiers of the Achaemenid Empire during the rule of Darius the Great baked flatbreads with cheese and dates on top of their battle shields[23][24] and the ancient Greeks supplemented their bread with oils, herbs, and cheese.[25][26] An early reference to a pizza-like food occurs in the Aeneid, when Celaeno, queen of the Harpies, foretells that the Trojans would not find peace until they are forced by hunger to eat their tables (Book III). In Book VII, Aeneas and his men are served a meal that includes round cakes (like pita bread) topped with cooked vegetables. When they eat the bread, they realize that these are the "tables" prophesied by Celaeno.[27] In 2023, archeologists discovered a fresco in Pompeii appearing to depict a pizza-like dish among other foodstuffs and staples on a silver platter. Italy's culture minister said it "may be a distant ancestor of the modern dish".[28][29] The first mention of the word "pizza" comes from a notarial document written in Latin and dating to May 997 AD from Gaeta, demanding a payment of "twelve pizzas, a pork shoulder, and a pork kidney on Christmas Day, and 12 pizzas and a couple of chickens on Easter Day."[30]

Modern pizza evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, in the 18th or early 19th century.[31] Before that time, flatbread was often topped with ingredients such as garlic, salt, lard, and cheese. It is uncertain when tomatoes were first added and there are many conflicting claims,[31] though it certainly could not have been before the 16th century and the Columbian Exchange. Until about 1830, pizza was sold from open-air stands and out of pizza bakeries.

A popular contemporary legend holds that the archetypal pizza, pizza Margherita, was invented in 1889, when the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizzaiolo (pizza maker) Raffaele Esposito to create a pizza in honor of the visiting Queen Margherita. Of the three different pizzas he created, the Queen strongly preferred a pizza swathed in the colors of the Italian flag — red (tomato), green (basil), and white (mozzarella). Supposedly, this kind of pizza was then named after the Queen,[32] with an official letter of recognition from the Queen's "head of service" remaining to this day on display in Esposito's shop, now called the Pizzeria Brandi.[33] Later research cast doubt on this legend, undermining the authenticity of the letter of recognition, pointing that no media of the period reported about supposed visit and that both the story and name Margherita were first promoted in the 1930s-1940s.[34][35]

Pizza was taken to the United States by Italian immigrants in the late nineteenth century[36] and first appeared in areas where they concentrated. The country's first pizzeria, Lombardi's, opened in New York City in 1905.[37] Following World War II, veterans returning from the Italian Campaign, who were introduced to Italy's native cuisine, proved a ready market for pizza in particular.[38]

The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (lit. True Neapolitan Pizza Association) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 with headquarters in Naples that aims to promote traditional Neapolitan pizza.[39] In 2009, upon Italy's request, Neapolitan pizza was registered with the European Union as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed dish,[40][41] and in 2017 the art of its making was included on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.[7]

Pizza is sold fresh or frozen, and whole or in portion-size slices. Methods have been developed to overcome challenges such as preventing the sauce from combining with the dough, and producing a crust that can be frozen and reheated without becoming rigid. There are frozen pizzas with raw ingredients and self-rising crusts.

Another form of pizza is available from take and bake pizzerias. This pizza is assembled in the store, then sold unbaked to customers to bake in their own ovens. Some grocery stores sell fresh dough along with sauce and basic ingredients, to assemble at home before baking in an oven.

• Pizza preparation
• 
  Pizza dough being kneaded before being left undisturbed and allowed time to proof
• 
  Traditional pizza dough being tossed
• 
  Toppings being placed on pan pizzas
• 
  An unbaked Neapolitan pizza on a metal peel, ready for the oven
• 
  A wrapped, mass-produced frozen pizza to be baked at home

Crust

Caramelised crust – its cornicione (the outer edge) – of slices of New York–style pizza

The bottom of the pizza, called the "crust", may vary widely according to style – thin as in a typical hand-tossed Neapolitan pizza or thick as in a deep-dish Chicago-style. It is traditionally plain, but may also be seasoned with garlic or herbs, or stuffed with cheese. The outer edge of the pizza is sometimes referred to as the cornicione.[45] Some pizza dough contains sugar, to help its yeast rise and enhance browning of the crust.[46]

Dipping sauce specifically for pizza was invented by American pizza chain Papa John's Pizza in 1984 and has since been adopted by some when eating pizza, especially the crust.[47]

A great number of pizza varieties exist, defined by the choice of toppings and sometimes also crust. There are also several styles of pizza, defined by their preparation method. The following lists feature only the notable ones.

Varieties

Pizza varieties

Image	Name	Characteristic ingredients	Origin	First attested	Notes
	Pizza capricciosa	Ham, mushrooms, artichokes, egg	Italy		Similar to Pizza quattro stagioni, but with toppings mixed rather than separated.
	Clam pie	Clams	New England	1950s	Pizza version of the covered pie served in New England since colonial times.
	Hawaiian pizza	Pineapple, ham or bacon	Canada	1962	Tends to divide opinion.[50]
	Pizza Margherita	Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil	Naples, Italy	1800s	The archetypical Neapolitan pizza.
	Pizza marinara	Tomato sauce, olive oil, oregano, garlic. No cheese.	Naples, Italy	1734	One of the oldest Neapolitan pizza.
	Pizza pugliese	Tomato, onion, mozzarella	Apulia, Italy
	Pizza quattro formaggi	Prepared using four kinds of cheese (Italian: [ˈkwattro forˈmaddʒi], "four cheeses"): Mozzarella, Gorgonzola and two others depending on the region	Lazio, Italy	1700s
	Pizza quattro stagioni	Artichokes, mushroom, ham, tomatoes	Italy		The toppings are separated by quarter, representing the cycle of the seasons.
	Seafood pizza	Seafood, such as fish, shellfish or squid			Subvarieties include Pizza frutti di mare (no cheese) and Pizza pescatore (with mussels or squid).

Styles

Pizza styles

Image	Name	Characteristics	Origin	First attested
	California-style pizza	Distinguished by the use of non-traditional ingredients, especially varieties of fresh produce.	California, US	1980
	Calzone	Pizza folded in half turnover-style.	Naples, Italy	1700s
	Chicago-style pizza	Baked in a pan with a high edge that holds in a thick layer of toppings. The crust is sometimes stuffed with cheese or other ingredients.	Chicago, US	c. 1940s
	Colorado-style pizza	Made with a characteristically thick, braided crust topped with heavy amounts of sauce and cheese. It is traditionally served by the pound, with a side of honey as a condiment.	Colorado, US	1973
	Deep-fried pizza	The pizza is deep-fried (cooked in oil) instead of baked.	Scotland and Italy
	Detroit-style pizza	The cheese is spread to the edges and caramelizes against the high-sided heavyweight rectangular pan, giving the crust a lacy, crispy edge.	Detroit, US	1946
	Grandma pizza	Thin, square, baked in a sheet pan, "reminiscent of pizzas cooked at home by Italian housewives without a pizza oven".[51]	Long Island, US	Early 1900s
	Greek pizza	Proofed and baked in a shallow pan; the crust is light and similar to foccaccia.	Connecticut, US	1955
	Italian tomato pie	Made from thick dough covered by tomato paste; a variation on Sicilian pizza. Also called pizza strips (when cut as in the image), gravy pie, church pie, red bread, party pizza, etc.	US	early 1900s
	Jumbo slice	Very large slice of pizza sold as street food.	New York and Washington D.C., US	1981
	New York–style pizza	Neapolitan-derived pizza with a characteristic thin foldable crust	New York metropolitan area (and beyond)	early 1900s
	Pizzetta	Small pizza served as an hors d'oeuvre or snack.
	St. Louis–style pizza	The style has a thin cracker-like crust made without yeast, generally uses Provel cheese, and is cut into squares or rectangles instead of wedges.	St. Louis, US	1945

United States

Main article: Pizza in the United States

Pizza banquet in the White House (2009)

The first pizzeria in the U.S. was opened in New York City's Little Italy in 1905.[62] Common toppings for pizza in the United States include anchovies, ground beef, chicken, ham, mushrooms, olives, onions, peppers, pepperoni, salami, sausage, spinach, steak, and tomatoes. Distinct regional types developed in the 20th century, including Buffalo,[63] California, Chicago, Detroit, Greek, New Haven, New York, and St. Louis styles.[64] These regional variations include deep-dish, stuffed, pockets, turnovers, rolled, and pizza-on-a-stick, each with seemingly limitless combinations of sauce and toppings.

Thirteen percent of the United States population consumes pizza on any given day.[65] Pizza chains such as Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's, pizzas from take and bake pizzerias, and chilled or frozen pizzas from supermarkets make pizza readily available nationwide.

As of 2021, according to Guinness World Records:

• The world's largest pizza was prepared in Rome in December 2012, and measured 1,261 square meters (13,570 square feet). The pizza was named "Ottavia" in homage to the first Roman emperor Octavian Augustus, and was made with a gluten-free base.[69]
• The world's longest pizza was 1,930.39 meters (6,333 feet 3+1⁄2 inches) long; it was made in Fontana, California in 2017.[70] Other previous records include that of Marquinetti (Tomelloso, Spain), where a 1141.5 m pizza was achieved, itself surpassing a previous record in Poland.[71]
• The world's most expensive commercially available pizza recognised by Guinness World Records costs US$2,700, and was sold at Industry Kitchen (USA) in New York, New York, US, as of 24 April 2017. It is made of black squid ink dough, and topped with UK white Stilton cheese, French foie gras and truffles, Ossetra caviar from the Caspian Sea, Almas caviar, and 24K gold leaves.[72]
• More expensive pizzas have been reported, but are not recognised by Guinness World Records, such as the £4,200 "Pizza Royale 007" at Haggis restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland, which is topped with caviar, lobster, and 24-carat gold dust, and the US$1,000 caviar pizza made by Nino's Bellissima pizzeria in New York City, New York.[73]
• A pizza made by the restaurateur Domenico Crolla that included toppings such as sunblush-tomato sauce, Scottish smoked salmon, medallions of venison, edible gold, lobster marinated in cognac, and champagne-soaked caviar. The pizza was auctioned for charity in 2007, raising £2,150.[74]

Boy Scouts with pizza

Some pizzas mass-produced by pizza chains have been criticized as having an unhealthy balance of ingredients. Pizza can be high in salt and fat, and is high in calories. The USDA reports an average sodium content of 5,101 mg per 36 cm (14 in) pizza in fast food chains.[75] There are concerns about undesirable health effects.[76][77]

• Calzone and stromboli are similar dishes that are often made of pizza dough folded (calzone) or rolled (stromboli) around a filling.
• Panzerotti are similar to calzones, but fried rather than baked.
• Piadina is a thin Italian flatbread, typically prepared in the Romagna historical region.
• Focaccia is a flat leavened oven-baked Italian bread, similar in style and texture to pizza; in some places, it is called pizza bianca ("white pizza").[78]
• "Farinata" or "cecina".[79] A Ligurian (farinata) and Tuscan (cecina) regional dish made from chickpea flour, water, salt, and olive oil. Also called socca in the Provence region of France. Often baked in a brick oven, and typically weighed and sold by the slice.
• Coca is a similar dish consumed mainly in Catalonia and neighbouring regions, but that has extended to other areas in Spain, and to Algeria. There are sweet and savoury versions.
• The Alsatian Flammekueche[80] (Standard German: Flammkuchen, French: Tarte flambée) is a thin disc of dough covered in crème fraîche, onions, and bacon.
• Garlic fingers is an Atlantic Canadian dish, similar to a pizza in shape and size, and made with similar dough. It is garnished with melted butter, garlic, cheese, and sometimes bacon.
• The Anatolian Lahmacun (Arabic: laḥm bi'ajīn; Armenian: lahmajoun; also Turkish pizza or Armenian pizza) is a meat-topped dough round. The base is very thin, and the layer of meat often includes chopped vegetables.[81]
• The Levantine Manakish (Arabic: ma'ujnāt) and Sfiha (Arabic: laḥm bi'ajīn; also Arab pizza) are dishes similar to pizza.
• Panizza is half a stick of bread (often baguette), topped with the usual pizza ingredients, baked in an oven.
• The Macedonian Pastrmajlija is a bread pie made from dough and meat. It is usually oval-shaped with chopped meat on top of it.
• The Provençal Pissaladière is similar to an Italian pizza, with a slightly thicker crust and a topping of cooked onions, anchovies, and olives.
• Pizza bagel is a bagel with toppings similar to that of traditional pizzas.
• Pizza bread is an open-faced sandwich made of bread, tomato sauce, cheese,[82] and various toppings.
• Pizza sticks are baked with pizza dough and pizza ingredients.[83] Bread dough may also be used in their preparation,[84] and some versions are fried.[85]
• Pizza Rolls are a trade-marked commercial product.
• Okonomiyaki, a Japanese dish cooked on a hotplate, is often referred to as "Japanese pizza".[86]
• "Zanzibar pizza" is a street food served in Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania. It uses a dough much thinner than pizza dough, almost like filo dough, filled with minced beef, onions, and an egg, similar to Moroccan basṭīla.[87]
• Zwiebelkuchen, a German onion tart, often baked with diced bacon and caraway seeds.

• "The Saveur Ultimate Guide to Pizza". Saveur. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
• Kliman, Todd (September 5, 2012). "Easy as pie: A Guide to Regional Pizza". The Washingtonian. Explanation of eight pizza styles: Maryland, Roman, "Gourmet" Wood-fired, Generic boxed, New York, Neapolitan, Chicago, and New Haven.
• Helstosky, Carol (2008). Pizza: A Global History. London: Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-1-86189-391-8. OCLC 225876066.
• Chudgar, Sonya (March 22, 2012). "An Expert Guide to World-Class Pizza". QSR Magazine. Retrieved October 16, 2012.* Raichlen, Steven (2008). The Barbecue! Bible. Workman Publishing. pp. 381–384. ISBN 978-0761149446.
• Delpha, J.; Oringer, K. (2015). Grilled Pizza the Right Way. Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-62414-106-5. 208 pages.

• Media related to Pizza at Wikimedia Commons
• Pizza in the United States and Canada travel guide from Wikivoyage