Believe it or not, many disagree over the origins of the first pizza. Some believe that pizza is the descendant of unleavened breads that used to be consumed in ancient Rome. The other side believes that pizza is the natural evolution of the Greek Pita bread.
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.
The concentration of Italian immigrants in New York in those olden days explains the fact that many people feel you must visit New York to get true pizzeria-style pizza. And that's how pizza got started in America. And of course, if you have ever tried New York style pizza you will probably agree. New York style pizza is a large slice of thin crust covered with Marinara sauce and loaded with an array of different toppings. A side of garlic bread and some heady pastas and tortellinis usually round out the menu. Pizzerias in New York are for people who love their food.
As it arrived in Chicago in the early 1940's, pizza went through a make-over. It is believed that the first pizzeria in Chicago was Pizzeria Uno, opened in 1943 by Ike Sewell. Sewell's pizza creation was a new twist on the old New York standard. He created the first deep-dish pizza, which came about by dropping the pizza in a deep pan and allowing it to bubble up at the edges. People flocked to Sewell's pizzeria, and a whole new way of looking at this favorite food was born.
To this day you can find yourself in some pretty heated debates if you argue with a New Yorker or a Chicagoan about what constitutes authentic pizzeria-style pizza. But no matter what your favorite type of crust is, pizza definitely remains one of America's favorite foods.
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.
The concentration of Italian immigrants in New York in those olden days explains the fact that many people feel you must visit New York to get true pizzeria-style pizza. And that's how pizza got started in America. And of course, if you have ever tried New York style pizza you will probably agree. New York style pizza is a large slice of thin crust covered with Marinara sauce and loaded with an array of different toppings. A side of garlic bread and some heady pastas and tortellinis usually round out the menu. Pizzerias in New York are for people who love their food.
As it arrived in Chicago in the early 1940's, pizza went through a make-over. It is believed that the first pizzeria in Chicago was Pizzeria Uno, opened in 1943 by Ike Sewell. Sewell's pizza creation was a new twist on the old New York standard. He created the first deep-dish pizza, which came about by dropping the pizza in a deep pan and allowing it to bubble up at the edges. People flocked to Sewell's pizzeria, and a whole new way of looking at this favorite food was born.
To this day you can find yourself in some pretty heated debates if you argue with a New Yorker or a Chicagoan about what constitutes authentic pizzeria-style pizza. But no matter what your favorite type of crust is, pizza definitely remains one of America's favorite foods.
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.
About the Author:
Glass fabricators, find the largest selection of used tempering furnace available anywhere online. New equipment such as glass laser engraving equipment are added daily.