The pizza is one of the most popular Italian dishes in the world but there are many curiosities about pizza that maybe not everyone knows. In fact, this simple dough made of water and flour is eaten everywhere and the art of making pizza was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
The pizza margherita is the symbol of Italy with the red of the tomato, the white of the mozzarella and the green of the basil that are the colors of the national flag. Here you will have the opportunity to discover the most curious aspects of that delicacy of traditional Italian cuisine.
Curiosity about pizza: the history of its origin
One of the most interesting facts about pizza is its origin. In fact, the first to discover the secrets of leavening were the Egyptians in 4000 A. C. with the invention of the first oven. Pizza as we know it today could have been born around the ¿700 to Naples.
In fact, according to some historical sources, this is the period when the first pizzaioli shops opened in the city. In fact in these years Naples is a poor and very populous city and most people eat this easy to prepare and cheap dish. The first type of pizza was marinara with fresh tomato, oil, garlic and oregano.
This is how it is prepared: curiosity about pizza
Among the most curious aspects about pizza is what refers to its preparation. In fact you must know that to make an Italian pizza you must follow a disciplinary. Â The dough must be stretched strictly by hand and never using a rolling pin. Moreover, the central part must never be thicker than a third of a centimeter. This is the version defined pizza alla napoletana.
In fact you must know that there is also the Roman version that was born in the years after the Second World War. Its main feature is its subtlety. This is due to the fact that for its preparation are used different flours that require the addition of a lot of water. In this version the dough is rolled out with a rolling pin.
Curiosity about pizza: the first pizzeria and the first margherita
But that’s not all, in fact there are other curiosities like the one about the opening of the first pizzeria in Italy. This is the Antica pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples. In fact, it was opened in 1738 to supply street vendors in the city. Until 1829 it remained a take-away pizzeria. From the following year in fact began to offer the opportunity to its customers to eat it on the spot becoming the first room with chairs and tables.
Another curiosity is about the invention of pizza margherita, undoubtedly the most popular. In 1890 in Naples the pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito wanted to pay homage to Queen Margherita of Savoy and for the occasion created a pizza with tomato, mozzarella and basil.
The strange facts about pizza
Pizza is one of the most known Italian foods but there are some strange aspects that maybe not everyone knows. You should know that NASA commissioned a Texas startup to create a 3D printer capable of printing pizzas. In 2017 pizza was also in space thanks to the Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli who prepared a pizza for his companions on the international space station.
Another curious aspect consists in the fact that pizza has reached a great popularity before in the United States compared to Italy which is the country where it was invented. Moreover, according to recent research, the country where the most pizza is eaten is the USA with an average of 13 kg per person. Finally, it is here that the first e-commerce of pizza was born. It is Pizza Hut that opened its site for orders in 1994.