Is pizza considered Italian food by Italians?














We're pizza fans. It's safe to say that you do as well.


You wouldn't be surprised if someone said Italian if you asked them what kind of cuisine pizza is. That is acceptable. Italian cuisine is the source of pizza. However, it has a lot richer history than that, and America played a significant role in it. Learn more about the history of pizza by reading on.


Pizza wasn't invented by Italians.




It's questionable, I suppose. Pizza is a yeasted flatbread that is cooked with a variety of stuff on it, thus the Italians can't really claim to have invented it.


 The real heroes are the Greeks of antiquity. However, pizza was further developed in Italy because Naples was established as a Green Port city.


It started off as bread topped with oil and herbs. The addition of mozzarella and tomatoes came later. 


The late 18th century saw the rise in popularity of the modern pizza as we know it today. It was regarded as street food back then.


 And the King and Queen went to Naples after Italy became one country in 1861. They sampled a variety of pizzas, but the Queen's favorite was one with soft cheese, green basil, and scarlet tomatoes. It just so happens that they are also the colors of the Italian flag!


 Then, the Queen's name was given to that particular topping combination: Margherita.






When did it first arrive in America?



Despite being well-liked in Italy, it was still not widely known outside of that country. 


But in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, everything changed. Italians arrived in America in search of employment, like many other Europeans. They brought their culinary heritage with them. In fact, one of the earliest known pizzerias opened in New York in 1905.


However, it wasn't until the 1940s and 1950s that it began to gain popularity among Americans and become less of a foreign dish. When the frozen pizza was created in the 1960s, everyone could now enjoy it. 


The rest is essentially history from that point on. We started pizza chains, started delivering, and invented bizarre topping combos (like pineapple).




What Distinguishes Italian from American Pizza?



Without a doubt, the pizza we know today differs greatly from the Italian and Greek flatbreads it was derived from. However, like with anything that arises from diverse cultures, teamwork is really key. Fun fact: Pepperoni, a staple in America, isn't available in Italy. 





Other variations of Italian pizza often have a very thin crust, a sauce that is more like a puree than a slow-cooked sauce, and relatively few toppings.