The Pizza Sola Blog

Pizza. We accept it as a staple of our culture, but did you ever wonder where it all began?

The history of pizza is an interesting one.

Pizza. You’d think it’s been around forever….and you’d be correct. Historically speaking, pizza is a type dish that has existed since time immemorial in both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. By the year 997, the term had appeared in Medieval Latin, and in 16th century Naples, flatbread was referred to as a pizza.

Back then, it was a dish of poor people, sold in the streets and not really considered a standard recipe for a long time thereafter. Before the 17th century pizza was covered with red sauce and then eventually replaced by oil, tomatoes or fish.

In June 1889, to honor the Queen consort ofItaly, Margherita of Savoy, the Neapolitan chef RaffaeleEsposito created the now-popular ”Pizza Margherita,” a pizzamade with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil, to represent the colors of the Italian flag. A fun fact? He was the first guy to add cheese. (THANK YOU for that!)

However, the sequence of events through which the earlyflavored flatbreads of ancient and medieval Mediterranean became the typical pizza dish popularized in the 20th century is not really fully understood.

One thing’s for sure – everyone from college students to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, from suburbanites to cultured foodies, can appreciate a good slice of pizza. Whether traditional or gourmet, pizza is here to stay. So stop by Pizza Sola for the best slice in the ‘Burgh!

~~ Ashley Boynes-Shuck