Dining

The Birth of pizza

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Pizza is a worldwide food. It originated in Naples and eventually spread internationally.The popularity of pizza grew after World War II bringing the chain pizza shops, such as Marco’s and Papa John’s, to life. In America there are two different styles of pizza pies, New York and Chicago. New York is thin while Chicago is thicker and more cake- like. Learn more about the history of pizza and chose which style you like best.

The first pizza as we know it today was cooked in Naples in the early first century. After Italy unified in 1889, Queen Margherita and King Umberto I travelled to Naples and discovered their love for pizza at the Pizzeria Brandi. It is believed that this is what led to the Italy-wide craze for the food. The Queen’s favorite pie toppings- soft white cheese, red tomatoes and green basil- were soon dubbed Margherita Pizza.

By the early 1900s immigrants from Naples brought pizza to the United States in cities such as Trenton, New Haven, Boston, Chicago and St. Louis. The first pizzeria licensed to sell pizza in America was located in Manhattan called G. Lombardi’s. Many others soon followed suit.

The taste for pizza began booming after World War II. Americans began experimenting with different toppings such as gouda cheese, spinach and chicken. Soon pizza became a staple in the common household rather than an “ethnic treat” leading to popularity of chain pizza shops such as Domino’s and Pizza Hut.[1]

Anyone who enjoys a slice of pizza knows the longstanding debate between New York and Chicago style pizza.

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New York style has thin crust while Chicago has a thicker crust leaving room for heavier toppings. The New York style is meant for eating on the go, similar to a sandwich while a plate (and sometimes a fork and knife) are typically required for Chicago pizza pies. Chicago style has several cheeses layered under the toppings and less oil and New York style has a small layer of mozzarella cheese and toppings with more oil.[2]

There are pros and cons to both styles of pizza. Which do you prefer?

 

[1] http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/a-slice-of-history-pizza-through-the-ages

[2] http://pizza.com/chicago-style-pizza-vs-new-york-style-pizza

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Josey graduated from Malone University with a communication arts degree with an emphasis in public relations and marketing minor. She was the editor in chief of the student newspaper, The Aviso. When she was about 12 years old she read her first magazine and instantly knew she wanted to write for one. She absolutely loves telling a story through her writing.

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