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Where Did Pizza Come From?

Where Did Pizza Come From?

Posted on: April 17, 2019

As one of the world’s most popular foods, our pizza obsession is pretty intense. We eat pizza everywhere; at home, in restaurants and even on street corners. About three billion pizzas are sold each year in the United States alone, which is an average of 46 slices per person. Pizza is such a staple not only in our diets but also in our culture, but what many people might not know is where did pizza come from.

The History Of Pizza

People have been eating pizza, in one form or another, for centuries. Pizza has humble beginnings dating back to late 18th-century Naples when the city had become one of the largest in Europe. The booming population in Napes, fueled by overseas trade and a steady influx of peasants from the countryside, grew quickly and the urban economy struggled to keep pace. Many of the city’s inhabitants fell into poverty and were classed as the working poor or the lazzaroni because their ragged appearance resembled that of Lazarus. The lazzaroni were always on the go, searching for work, and they needed food that was cheap and easy to eat and pizza met that need.

Pizza was sold by street vendors carrying huge boxes under their arms. The slices of pizza would be cut to meet the customer’s budget and/or appetite. The simplest were topped with nothing more than garlic, lard, and salt while others included caciocavallo, a cheese made from horse’s milk, basil and tomatoes. For a long time, pizza was looked down upon and associated with the poor, working class. Only until the unification of Italy, when King Umberto and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889 and sampled an assortment of pizza, did it become popular throughout Italy. Despite this, pizza didn’t go beyond Naples’borders until the 1940s.

Pizza Makes World Domination

Pizza found its second home in America. Immigrants coming to the United States in the 1900s from Naples replicated their pizzas in New York and other American cities, including Trenton, New Haven, Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis. Relatively quickly, the flavors and aromas of pizza began to intrigue non-Neapolitans and non-Italians. As Italian-Americans and Italian cuisine migrated from city to suburb, east to the west coast, especially after World War II, pizza’s popularity in the United States soared. Today, pizza is not only a staple in Italy but has made its impact around the world as one of our favorite foods.

Pizza Places Near Me

If you have been searching for the best pizza places near you, then you need to try the pizza at Cannoli Kitchen. All of our pizzas are homemade and created with the highest quality of ingredients. We also offer pizza delivery in Boca Raton along with authentic Italian food. From traditional Sicilian pizza to chicken bacon ranch pizza, we have got it all. For Boca Raton pizza delivery, give us a call at 561-955-8880.

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