Pizza — A Video Map Guide

The oldest recorded usage of the word pizza is thought to be from May 997 AD, appearing in the Codex diplomaticus Caietanus, 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 is to give the bishop of Gaeta duodecim pizze (lit. 'twelve pizzas'), a pork shoulder and kidney annually on Christmas Day, and twelve pizzas and a couple of chickens annually on Easter Sunday. Suggested etymologies include: Byzantine Greek and Late Latin pitta > pizza, cf. Modern Greek pitta bread and the Apulia and Calabrian (then Byzantine Italy) pitta, a round flat bread baked in the oven at high temperature sometimes with toppings. The word pitta can in turn be traced to either Ancient Greek πικτή (pikte), 'fermented pastry', which in Latin became picta, or Ancient Greek πίσσα (pissa, Attic: πίττα, pitta), 'pitch', or πήτεα (pḗtea), 'bran' (πητίτης, pētítēs, 'bran bread'). The Etymological Dictionary of the Italian Language explains it as coming from dialectal pinza, 'clamp', as in modern Italian pinze, 'pliers, pincers, tongs, forceps'. Their origin is from Latin pinsere, 'to pound, stamp'. The Lombardic word bizzo or pizzo, meaning 'mouthful' (related to the English words bit and bite), which was brought to Italy in the middle of the 6th century AD by the invading Lombards. The shift b→p could be explained by the High German consonant shift, and it has been noted in this connection that in German the word Imbiss means 'snack'. A small pizza is sometimes called pizzetta. A person who makes 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.

of pizza An illustration from 1830 of a pizzaiolo in Naples Records of pizza-like foods can be found throughout ancient history. In the 6th century BC, the Persian soldiers of the Achaemenid 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 Celaeno, queen of the Harpies, foretells that the Trojans would not find peace until they are forced by hunger to eat their tables (Book III). In Book VII, 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 Celaeno. In 2023, archeologists 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". The first mention of the word pizza seemingly comes from a notarial document written in Latin and dating to 997 AD from Gaeta, demanding a payment of "twelve pizzas, a pork shoulder, and a pork kidney on Christmas Day, and 12 pizzas and a couple of chickens on Easter Day". 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 and 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 t

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 US, 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 basic ingredients, to assemble at home before baking in an oven. Pizza preparation Pizza dough being kneaded before being left undisturbed and allowed time to proof Tossing pizza dough to stretch it An unbaked Neapolitan pizza on a metal peel, ready for the oven A wrapped, mass-produced frozen pizza to be baked at home Baking 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 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, a 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 a 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 p

List of pizza varieties by country 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. The following lists show some notable pizza varieties: Italian varieties Image Name Characteristic ingredients Origin First attested Notes Pizza marinara Tomato sauce, olive oil, oregano, garlic. No cheese. Naples, Italy 1734 One of the oldest Neapolitan pizza. Pizza Margherita Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil. Naples, Italy June 1889 The archetypical Neapolitan pizza. Pizza capricciosa Ham, mushrooms, artichokes, olives, tomatoes. Rome, Lazio, Italy 1937 Similar to pizza quattro stagioni, but with toppings mixed rather than separated. Pizza quattro stagioni Artichokes, mushroom, ham, olives, tomatoes. Campania, Italy The toppings are separated by quarter, representing the cycle of the seasons. Pizza quattro formaggi Prepared using four types of cheese (.IPA-label-small.references .IPA-label-small,.infobox .IPA-label-small,.navbox .IPA-label-smallItalian: [ˈkwattro forˈmaddʒi], 'four cheeses'): mozzarella, Gorgonzola and two others depending on the region. Lazio, Italy Its origins are not clearly documented, but it is believed to originate from the Lazio region at the beginning of the 18th century. Seafood pizza Seafood, such as fish, shellfish or squid. Italy Subvarieties include pizza ai frutti di mare (no cheese) and pizza pescatore (with mussels or squid). Styles Italian styles Image Name Characteristics Origin First attested Calzone Pizza folded in half turnover-style, baked. Naples, Italy Panzerotti Similar to a calzone, but fried. Apulia, Italy Deep fried pizza (pizza fritta) The pizza is deep fried (cooked in oil) instead of baked. Naples, Italy Pizzetta

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 in (36 cm) pizza in fast food chains.

Focaccia al rosmarino Panzerotti 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 has 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. Flammekueche is a food speciality 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 (lit. 'white pizza'). Garlic 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”. Khachapuri is a Georgian cheese-filled bread. Lahmacun 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 hotplate. Panzerotti are similar to calzones, but fried rather than baked. Pastrmajlija (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. Pinsa (bread) is a flatbread with sauce applied after baking. Pissaladière is similar to an Italian pizza, with a slightly thicker crust and a topping of cooked onions, anchovies, and olives. Pizz