Trying to trace the history of the first pizza is a surprisingly controversial subject. One side believes that pizza derives from the unleavened breads of ancient Rome. Others trace a connection from modern pizza back to the pita breads of Greece.
It's fairly well established that the first pizza as we know it today was created by a man named Raffaele Esposito from Naples, Italy. During a visit of Queen Margherita to Naples in 1889, Raffaele was appointed to create a special dish to celebrate the occasion, and he decided to come up with something that displayed the colors of the Italian flag: Red tomatoes, white cheese and green basil (it must be noted that not too long before, tomatoes were considered poisonous, but by Raffaele's time they had already been accepted into the Italian cuisine).
As the years passed and the turn of the century came about, Italian immigrants brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria in America was inaugurated in 1905. At the time, its popularity remained with the immigrants, until the end of world war II when many American soldiers came back home with a taste of foods they had eaten overseas. With that, the pizza boom in America began and this food became a mainstream meal instead of an underground Italian snack.
Since so many Italian immigrants concentrated in New York, it is obvious why everybody agrees that to eat from an authentic pizzeria, one must go to New York. It's where the pizza got its American start, after all. And nobody who has experienced New York style pizza can disagree. New York pizza consists of a thin crust loaded with marinara sauce, plenty of delicious toppings and the right mix of spices. Many people order it along with a side of garlic bread, pasta or tortellini. Pizzerias in New York are not for the faint of heart.
When pizza arrived in Chicago in the early 1940's it changed quite a bit. Ike Sewell is the founder of the first Chicago-style pizzeria, Pizzeria Uno, which opened in 1943. His pizza was different than the original New York style pizza. He created what is known today as deep-dish pizza, where the pizza is sunk low into a deeper pan, and the crust is allowed to rise in thick bubbles around the edges. Patrons loved Sewell's pizza, and from that day on pizza took yet another favorite form.
New Yorkers and Chicagoans still argue over which pizza is most authentic. But whatever crust style you choose, pizza is a unique food with a foggy past and a definite appeal that has lasted through many incarnations.
So, if you happen to travel to Chicago or New York, don't miss the opportunity to visit an authentic pizzeria, the kind that offers checkered tablecloths, and lots of garlic on the menu. After all, its tradition.
It's fairly well established that the first pizza as we know it today was created by a man named Raffaele Esposito from Naples, Italy. During a visit of Queen Margherita to Naples in 1889, Raffaele was appointed to create a special dish to celebrate the occasion, and he decided to come up with something that displayed the colors of the Italian flag: Red tomatoes, white cheese and green basil (it must be noted that not too long before, tomatoes were considered poisonous, but by Raffaele's time they had already been accepted into the Italian cuisine).
As the years passed and the turn of the century came about, Italian immigrants brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria in America was inaugurated in 1905. At the time, its popularity remained with the immigrants, until the end of world war II when many American soldiers came back home with a taste of foods they had eaten overseas. With that, the pizza boom in America began and this food became a mainstream meal instead of an underground Italian snack.
Since so many Italian immigrants concentrated in New York, it is obvious why everybody agrees that to eat from an authentic pizzeria, one must go to New York. It's where the pizza got its American start, after all. And nobody who has experienced New York style pizza can disagree. New York pizza consists of a thin crust loaded with marinara sauce, plenty of delicious toppings and the right mix of spices. Many people order it along with a side of garlic bread, pasta or tortellini. Pizzerias in New York are not for the faint of heart.
When pizza arrived in Chicago in the early 1940's it changed quite a bit. Ike Sewell is the founder of the first Chicago-style pizzeria, Pizzeria Uno, which opened in 1943. His pizza was different than the original New York style pizza. He created what is known today as deep-dish pizza, where the pizza is sunk low into a deeper pan, and the crust is allowed to rise in thick bubbles around the edges. Patrons loved Sewell's pizza, and from that day on pizza took yet another favorite form.
New Yorkers and Chicagoans still argue over which pizza is most authentic. But whatever crust style you choose, pizza is a unique food with a foggy past and a definite appeal that has lasted through many incarnations.
So, if you happen to travel to Chicago or New York, don't miss the opportunity to visit an authentic pizzeria, the kind that offers checkered tablecloths, and lots of garlic on the menu. After all, its tradition.
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