It’s National Cheese Pizza Day, a day we at Artisan absolutely love! In the spirit of this day, let’s take a look back at the history of this tasty treat.
Records of pizza-like dishes go back thousands of years, across cultures and continents, from pita to manakish to cong you bing (scallion pancakes). The first use of the word pizza, however, dates to 10th century southern Italy, then a part of the Byzantine Empire. These early pies would be hardly recognizable to modern pizzaphiles- appearing and tasting more like focaccia- but the name would stick for centuries to come.
Modern pizza begins its story after the arrival of tomatoes in Europe from the New World in the 16th century. Originally thought poisonous, the poor of Naples began to experiment with these plants on their pizza flatbreads, breaking the stigma and setting something delicious in motion. Early pizza recipes aimed for a sweet flavor, though by the end of the 19th century, a savory combination of tomato, mozzarella, basil, and oil had become standard.
The dish arrived in the United States along with Italian immigrants, with “Little Italys” developing their own styles from New York to Chicago… and if it weren’t for the Second World War, pizza might not have travelled farther. With the Allied invasion of Italy, however, troops came to love the Neopolitan dish- a love they would take back home. Pizza boomed after World War II, with new styles emerging in Detroit, Saint Louis, and Canada (including the Hawaiian Pizza, surprisingly!). Today, roughly 13% of Americans over a year old ate pizza today- a testament to its widespread popularity!
Today, Artisan Food Group is happy to provide our customers with plant-based mozzarella with the right melt, texture, and flavor to continue this tradition. Happy Cheese Pizza Day, all!
