Pizza | Can’t Sleep? Learn About A Slice Of Culinary History

Pizza has evolved from a simple flatbread into one of the most widely enjoyed foods on the planet. This episode explores the history of pizza, its origins in Italy, the development of regional styles, and how a humble combination of dough, sauce, and toppings became a global phenomenon. Along the way, you’ll hear about wood-fired ovens, Neapolitan traditions, cheese production, famous pizza variations, and the surprisingly passionate debates surrounding what does and does not belong on a pizza.

It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast, Where I help you drift off one fact at a time. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster. And today's episode is about pizza. Pizza is an Italian dish, Typically consisting of a flat base of leavened wheat-based dough, Topped with tomato, Cheese, And other ingredients. Baked at a high temperature, Traditionally in a wood fire oven. The term pizza was first recorded in AD 997, In a Latin manuscript from the southern Italian town of Gaeta in Lazio, On the border with Campania. Raffaele Esposito is often credited with creating the modern version of pizza in Naples at the end of the 19th century. In 2009, Neapolitan pizza was registered with the European Union as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed TSG dish. In 2017, The art of making Neapolitan pizza was included in UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Pizza and its variants are among the most popular foods in the world. Pizza is sold at a variety of restaurants, Including pizzerias, Mediterranean restaurants, Via delivery, And as street food. In Italy, Pizza served in a restaurant is presented unsliced and is eaten with the use of a knife and fork. In casual settings, However, It is typically cut into slices to be eaten while held in hand. Pizza is also sold in grocery stores in a variety of forms, Including frozen or as kits for self-assembly. Store-bought pizzas are then cooked using a home oven. In 2017, The world pizza market was 128 billion US dollars. In the US, It was $44 billion spread over 76, 000 pizzerias. Overall, 13% of the U. S. Population aged 2 years and over consumed pizza on any given day. The oldest recorded usage of the word pizza is thought to be from May 997 AD. Appearing in the Codex Diplomaticus Caetanus, A notarial Latin document from the town of Gaeta, Then still part of the Byzantine Empire. The text states that a tenant of certain property used to give the bishop of Gaeta duodecim pizze, Literally 12 pizzas, A pork shoulder and kidney annually on Christmas day. And 12 pizzas and a couple of chickens annually on Easter Sunday. A person who makes a pizza is known as a pizzaiolo. The word pizza was borrowed from Italian into English in the 1930s. Before it became well known, Pizza was called tomato pie by English speakers. Some regional pizza variations still use the name tomato pie. Records of pizza-like foods can be found throughout ancient history. In the 6th century BC, The Persian soldiers of Archimenede Empire, During the rule of Darius the Great, Baked flatbreads with cheese and dates on top of their battle shields. And the ancient Greeks supplemented their bread with oils, Herbs, And cheese. An early reference to a pizza-like food occurs in the Aeneid, When Seleno, Queen of the Harpies, Foretells that the Trojans would not find peace until they are forced by hunger to eat their tables. In Book 7, Aeneas and his men are served a meal that includes round cakes, Such as pita bread, Topped with cooked vegetables. When they eat the bread, They realize that these are the tables prophesied by Salerno. In 2023, Archaeologists discovered a fresco in Pompeii, Appearing to depict a pizza-like dish, Among other foodstuffs and staples, On a silver platter. Italy's culture minister said it may be a distant ancestor of the modern dish. Modern pizza evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy in the 18th or early 19th century. Before that time, Flatbread was often topped with ingredients such as garlic, Salt, Lard, And cheese. It is uncertain when tomatoes were first added, And there are many conflicting claims, Although it certainly could not have been before the 16th century in the Columbian Exchange. Pizza was sold from open-air stands and out of pizza bakeries until about 1830, When pizzerias in Naples started to have stanze with tables, Where clients could sit and eat their pizzas on the spot. A popular legend holds that the archetypal pizza, Pizza Margherita, Was invented in 1889, When the royal palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizzaiolo, Pizza maker, Raffaele Esposito, To create a pizza in honor of the visiting Queen Margherita. Of the three different pizzas he created, The Queen strongly preferred a pizza swathed in the colors of the Italian flag. Red, Tomato, White, Mozzarella, And green, Basil. Supposedly, This type of pizza was then named after the Queen, With an official letter of recognition from the Queen's head of service, Remaining to this day on display in Esposito's shop, Now called the Pizzeria Brandi. Later research cast doubt on this legend, Undermining the authenticity of the letter of recognition, Pointing that no media of the period reported about the supposed visit, And that both the story and name Margarita were first promoted in the 1930s to 1940s. Pizza was taken to the United States by Italian immigrants in the 19th century and first appeared in areas where they concentrated. The country's first pizzeria, Lombardi's, Opened in New York City in 1905. Italian-Americans, Migrating from East to West, Brought the dish with them. And from there, The American version was exported to the rest of the world. Pizza appeared in the United Kingdom after World War II, When Italian immigrants opened up Italian restaurants in London. The dish really began to take hold in the UK when Peter Boyzot, An English entrepreneur who had tasted Neapolitan pizza on his travels in Italy in 1948, Opened London's first known pizzeria, Pizza Express, In 1965. Boise's chain expanded to over 500 outlets across the UK and Ireland before expanding overseas. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napolitana, Literally True Neapolitan Pizza Association, Is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 with headquarters in Naples that aims to promote traditional Neapolitan pizza. In 2009, Upon Italy's request, Neapolitan pizza was registered with the European Union as a traditional specialty guaranteed dish. And in 2017, The art of its making was included in UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Pizza is sold fresh or frozen, Whole or in portion size slices. Methods have been developed to overcome challenges such as preventing the sauce from combining with the dough and producing a crust that can be frozen and reheated without becoming rigid. There are frozen pizzas with raw ingredients and self-rising crusts. In the U. S. , Another form of pizza is available from take-and-bake pizzerias. This pizza is assembled in the store, Then sold unbaked to customers to bake in their own ovens. Some grocery stores sell fresh dough along with sauce and baking ingredients to assemble at home before baking in an oven. In restaurants, Pizza can be baked in an oven with fire bricks above the heat source, An electric deck oven, A conveyor belt oven, Or in traditional style, In a wood or coal-fired brick oven. The pizza is slid into the oven on a long paddle called peel, And baked directly on hot bricks, A screen, A round metal grate, Typically aluminum, Or whatever the oven's surface is. Before use, A peel is typically sprinkled with cornmeal to allow the pizza to easily slide on and off it. When made at home, The pizza can be baked on a pizza stone in a regular oven to reproduce some of the heating effect of a brick oven. Cooking directly on metal surface results in too rapid heat transfer to the crust, Burning it. Some home chefs use a wood-fired pizza oven, Usually installed outdoors. As in restaurants, These are often dome-shaped, As pizza ovens have been for centuries, In order to achieve even heat distribution. Another variation is grilled pizza, In which the pizza is baked directly on a barbecue grill. Some types, Such as Sicilian pizza, Are baked in a pan rather than directly on the bricks of the pizza oven. Most restaurants use standard and purpose-built pizza preparation tables to assemble their pizzas. Mass production of pizza by chains can be completely automated. The bottom of the pizza, Called the crust, May vary widely according to style. Thin, As in a typical hand-tossed Neapolitan pizza, Or thick, As in a deep-dish Chicago-style. It is traditionally plain, But may also be seasoned with garlic or herbs, Or stuffed with cheese. The outer edge of the pizza is sometimes referred to as the cornicione. Some pizza dough contains sugar to help its yeast rise and enhance browning of the crust. Mozzarella is commonly used on pizza, With the buffalo mozzarella produced in the surroundings of Naples. Other cheeses are also used, Particularly burrata, Gorgonzola, Provolone, Pecorino romano, Ricotta, And scamorza. Less expensive processed cheeses or cheese analogues have been developed for mass market pizzas to produce desirable qualities such as browning, Melting, Stretchiness, Consistent fat and moisture content, And stable shelf life. This quest to create the ideal and economical pizza cheese has involved many studies and experiments analyzing the impact of vegetable oil, Manufacturing and culture processes, Denatured whey proteins, And other changes in manufacture. In 1997, It was estimated that annual production of pizza cheese was 1 million metric tons in the U. S. And 100, 000 metric tons in Europe. A great number of pizza varieties exist. These include pizzas defined by their toppings, Their crust, Their method of preparation, Or all three. Pizza variations are often named after the region in which they first became prevalent, Particularly in North America, Such as New York-style pizza. Local varieties of pizza are often a staple of regional cuisines. Authentic Neapolitan pizza is made with San Marzano tomatoes, Grown on the volcanic plains south of Mount Vesuvius. And either mozzarella di bufala Campagna, Made with milk from water buffalo, Raised in the marshlands of Campagna and Lazio, Or fior di latte. Buffalo mozzarella is protected with its own European protected designation of origin. Other traditional pizzas include pizza marinara, Supposedly the most ancient tomato topped pizza, And pizza capricciosa, Which is prepared with mozzarella cheese, Baked ham, Mushroom, Artichoke, And tomato. A popular variant of pizza in Italy is Sicilian pizza, A thick crust or deep dish pizza originating during the 17th century in Sicily. It is essentially a focaccia that is typically topped with tomato sauce and other ingredients. Until the 1860s Sicilian pizza was the type of pizza usually consumed in Sicily, Especially in the western portion of the island. Other variations of pizzas are also found in other regions of Italy. For example, Pizza al padellino, Or pizza al degamino, A small-sized, Thick-crust, Deep-dish pizza typically served in Turin, Piedmont. The first pizzeria in the U. S. Was opened in New York City's Little Italy in 1905. Common toppings for pizza in the United States include anchovies, Ground beef, Chicken, Eggplant, Ham, Mushrooms, Olives, Onions, Peppers, Pepperoni, Pineapple, Salami, Sausage, Spinach, Steak, And tomatoes. A pizza with no toppings is called a cheese pizza or a plain pizza. Distinct regional types developed in the 20th century, Including Buffalo, California, Chicago, Detroit, Greek, New Haven, New York, And St. Louis styles. These regional variations include deep dish, Stuffed, Pockets, Turnovers, Rolled, And pizza on a stick, Each with seemingly limitless combinations of sauce and toppings. 13% of the United States population consumes pizza on any given day. Pizza chains, Pizzas from take-and-bake pizzerias, And chilled or frozen pizzas from supermarkets make pizza readily available nationwide. Pizza by the Slice is available from a great variety of restaurants, And is particularly associated with New York City, Where pizzerias are a cultural icon, As well as major food purveyors. Argentine pizza is a mainstay of the country's cuisine, Especially of its capital Buenos Aires, Where it is regarded as a cultural heritage and icon of the city. Argentina is a country with the most pizzerias per inhabitant in the world. And although they are consumed throughout the country, The highest concentration of pizzerias and customers in Buenos Aires, The city was the highest consumption of pizzas in the world. As such, The city has been considered as one of the world capitals of pizza. The dish was introduced in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century with the massive Italian immigration as part of a broader great European immigration wave to the country. Thus, Around the same time that the iconic Pizza Margherita was being invented in Italy, Pizza were already being cooked in the Argentine capital. The impoverished Italian immigrants that arrived in the city transformed the originally modest dish into a much more hefty meal, Motivated by the abundance of food in Argentina. In the 1930s, Pizza was cemented as a cultural icon in Buenos Aires, With the new pizzerias becoming a central space for sociability for the working class people who flocked to the city. The most characteristic style of Argentine pizza, Which almost all the classic pizzerias in Buenos Aires specialize in, Is the so-called pizza de molde, Spanish for pizza in the pan, Characterized by having a thick, Spongy base and elevated, Bready crust. This style, Which today is identified as the typical style of Argentine pizza, Characterized by a thick crust and a large amount of cheese, Arose when impoverished Italian immigrants found a greater abundance of food in then prosperous Argentina, Which motivated them to transform the originally modest dish into a much more hefty meal suitable for a main course. The name Pizza de Molde emerged because there were no pizza ovens in the city, So bakers resorted to baking them in pans. Since they used bakery plates, Argentine pizzas were initially square or rectangular, A format associated with the 1920s that is still maintained in some classic pizzerias, Especially for vegetable pizzas, Fogazzetas or fogazzas. Other styles of Argentine pizza include the iconic Fugazza and its derivative Fugazzetta or Fugazza con queso, A terminology that varies depending on the pizzeria. Or the pizza da concha or conchetta, A cheeseless variant. Most pizza menus include standard flavor combinations, Including the traditional plain mozzarella, Nicknamed Moussa, The Napolitana or Napo, With cheese, Sliced tomatoes, Garlic, Dried oregano, And a few green olives, Not to be confused with Neapolitan pizza. Calabresa with slices of longaniza, Jamon y morones with sliced ham and roasted bell peppers, As well as versions with provolone, With anchovies, With hearts of palm, Or with chopped hard-boiled egg. A typical custom that is unique to Buenos Aires is to accompany pizza with faina, A pancake made with chickpea flour. The terms dessert pizza and sweet pizza are used for a variety of dishes resembling a pizza, Including chocolate pizza and fruit pizza. Some are based on a traditional yeast dough pizza base, While others have a cookie-like base, And resemble a traditional pizza solely in having a flat round shape, With a distinct base and topping. Some pizza restaurants offer dessert pizzas. Many mass-produced pizzas by American pizza chains have been criticized as having an unhealthy balance of ingredients. Pizza can be high in salt and fat, And is high in calories. The USDA reports an average sodium content of 5, 100 mg per 14-inch pizza and fast food chains. Calzone and stromboli are similar dishes that are often made of pizza dough folded, Calzone, Or rolled, Stromboli, Around a filling. Coca is a similar dish consumed mainly in Catalonia and neighboring regions, But that is extended to other areas in Spain and to Algeria. There are sweet and savory versions. Farinata or Cecina is a Ligurian farinata and Tuscan Cecina regional dish. It is often baked in a brick oven and typically weighed and sold by the slice. Flamacoca is a food specialty of the Alsace region. Focaccia is a flat, Leavened, Oven-baked Italian bread, Similar in style and texture to pizza. In some places it is called pizza bianca, Literally white pizza. Atlantic Fingers is an Atlantic Canadian dish, Similar to a pizza in shape and size, And made with similar dough. It is garnished with melted butter, Garlic, Cheese, And sometimes bacon. İçli pide, Or simply pide, Is a Turkish dish similar to a pizza in being made of wheat-based dough topped with tomato, Cheese, And other ingredients, And usually formed in a boat-like shape. It is sometimes sold as Turkish pizza. Kachapuri is a Georgian cheese filled bread. Lamajoon is a Middle Eastern flatbread topped with minced meat. The base is very thin and the layer of meat often includes chopped vegetables. Manakish is a Levantine flatbread dish. Matzah pizza is a Jewish pizza dish. Okonomiyaki, Often referred to as Japanese pizza, Is a Japanese dish cooked on a hot plate. Panzarotti are similar to calzones, But fried rather than baked. Pastramiglia, Nicknamed Macedonian pizza, Is a bread pie made from dough and meat. It is usually oval-shaped with chopped meat on top of it. Piadina is a thin Italian flatbread typically prepared in the Romagna historical region. Pizza bread is a flat bread with sauce applied after baking. Pizza Ladiere is similar to an Italian pizza with a slightly thicker crust and a topping of cooked onions, Anchovies, And olives. Pizza bagel is a bagel with toppings similar to that of traditional pizzas. Pizza cake is a multiple layer pizza. Pizza rolls, Or a frozen snack product. Pizza Strips is a tomato pie of Italian-American origin. Svihar is a Levantine flatbread with toppings. Veja is a Swiss type of tart. Zanzibar pizza is a street food served in Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania. It uses a dough much thinner than pizza dough, Almost like phyllo dough, Filled with minced beef, Onions, And an egg, Similar to Moroccan Bastilla. Zwiebelkuchen is a German onion tart, Often baked with diced bacon and caraway seeds.