The History of Pizza: From Naples to the World

A Humble Beginning

The story of pizza begins in Naples, Italy, in the 18th century. While flatbreads with toppings have existed across cultures for thousands of years — from ancient Egypt to Greece to the Middle East — the pizza as we know it was born in the working-class neighbourhoods of Naples.

Neapolitan street vendors sold simple flatbreads topped with tomatoes, garlic, oil, and cheese to workers who needed cheap, filling food they could eat on the go. It was peasant food — delicious, practical, and unpretentious.

The Margherita Legend

The most famous pizza origin story dates to 1889, when pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito reportedly created a pizza for Queen Margherita of Italy. He topped it with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil — red, white, and green, the colours of the Italian flag. Whether the story is entirely true is debated, but the Pizza Margherita became iconic and remains the benchmark for quality pizza worldwide.

Pizza Crosses the Atlantic

Italian immigrants brought pizza to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first documented pizzeria in the United States, Lombardi's, opened in New York City in 1905. From there, pizza evolved into distinctly American styles:

• New York Style — Large, thin, foldable slices with a crispy crust
• Chicago Deep Dish — A thick, pie-like pizza with layers of cheese, meat, and chunky tomato sauce
• Detroit Style — Rectangular, thick-crusted, with cheese that caramelises on the edges of the pan

What Makes Great Pizza?

Despite all the variations, great pizza comes down to a few fundamentals:

The dough — The best pizza dough uses high-quality flour (Italian Tipo 00 is the gold standard), water, salt, and yeast. Long, slow fermentation — anywhere from 24 to 72 hours — develops flavour and creates the ideal texture.

The sauce — Simple is best. San Marzano tomatoes (or similar quality), a touch of salt, and fresh basil. Great tomatoes need very little help.

The cheese — Fresh mozzarella (ideally fior di latte or mozzarella di bufala) melts beautifully and provides that essential creamy, stretchy quality.

The heat — Traditional Neapolitan pizza is baked at 450°C (850°F) for just 60–90 seconds. This extreme heat creates the characteristic charred spots on the crust while keeping the interior soft and pillowy.

Pizza Today

Pizza has become truly global. From Tokyo to Kigali, from São Paulo to Sydney, every culture has adopted and adapted pizza to local tastes. And that is the beauty of it — pizza is a canvas. It respects tradition while welcoming creativity.

Whether you prefer a classic Margherita or a loaded gourmet creation, pizza brings people together. And that might be its greatest ingredient of all.