Pizza

The oldest recorded usage of the word pizza is thought to be from May 997{{nbsp}}CE, appearing in the Codex diplomaticus Caietanus, a notarial Latin document from the town of Gaeta, then still part of the Byzantine Empire.{{ cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/11408256/Was-pizza-not-invented-in-Naples-after-all.html | title=Was pizza not invented in Naples after all? | first=Keith | last=Miller | website=The Telegraph | date=February 12, 2015 | access-date=January 11, 2025 | quote=Giuseppe Nocca of the Istituto Alberghiero di Formia claims that the "codex diplomaticus cajtanus" of 997 CE contains the first ever written use of the word, in a list of food to be supplied annually as a tithe to the archbishops of Gaeta by the tenants of a mill on the nearby river Garigliano. }} The text states that a tenant of certain property is to give the bishop of Gaeta duodecim pizze ({{literally|twelve pizzas}}),{{ cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R7pEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA181 | title=Codex Diplomaticus Cajetanus | volume=1 | publisher=Typis Archicoenobii Montis Casini | year=1887 | quote=Tantummoduo persolvere debeatis omni anno salutes in dies natali domini sive vos sive vestris heredes in suprascripto episcopio tam nobis quam a nostris posteris successores duodecim pizze et una spatula de porco; et unum lumbulum; simul et in die sanctum pascha resurrectionis domini annualiter duodecim pizze et unum parium de pulli. }} a pork shoulder and kidney annually on Christmas Day, and twelve pizzas and a couple of chickens annually on Easter Sunday.{{cite web | title=Sorpresa: la parola "pizza" è nata a Gaeta | url=https://napoli.repubblica.it/cronaca/2015/02/09/news/sorpresa_la_parola_pizza_nata_a_gaeta-106914635/ | website=La Repubblica | date=February 9, 2015 | trans-title=Surprise: the word "pizza" was born in Gaeta | lang=it | access-date=November 16, 2021 | archive-date=November 16, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116203026/https://napoli.repubblica.it/cronaca/2015/02/09/news/sorpresa_la_parola_pizza_nata_a_gaeta-106914635/ |url-status=live }}

Suggested etymologies include:

• Byzantine Greek and Late Latin pitta > pizza, cf. Modern Greek pitta bread and the Apulia and Calabrian (then Byzantine Italy) pitta,{{cite book |last=Babiniotis |first=Georgios |date=2005 |script-title=el:Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας |trans-title=Dictionary of Modern Greek |language=el |publisher=Lexicology Centre |isbn=978-960-86190-1-2 |page=1413}} 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',{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pizza |title=Pizza |work=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=June 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024174005/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pizza |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2383267 |title=Pissa, Liddell and Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon, at Perseus |publisher=Perseus.tufts.edu |access-date=June 5, 2009 |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221104553/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2383267&redirect=true |url-status=live }} or πήτεα (pḗtea), 'bran' (πητίτης, pētítēs, 'bran bread').{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pizza&r=66 |title=Pizza |publisher=Dictionary.com |access-date=June 5, 2009}}
• 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'.[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=pizza "pizza"] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221104555/https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=pizza|date=February 21, 2022}}), Online Etymology Dictionary.
• 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.{{cite web |first=Martin |last=Maiden |website=yourDictionary.com |title=Linguistic Wonders Series: Pizza is a German(ic) Word |url=http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/pizza.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030115224054/http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/pizza.html |archive-date=January 15, 2003}}{{cite web|url=http://www.garzantilinguistica.it/ricerca/?q=pizza|title=Pizza|work=Garzanti Linguistica|publisher=De Agostini Scuola Spa|access-date=January 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201194513/http://www.garzantilinguistica.it/ricerca/?q=pizza|archive-date=February 1, 2014|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web | title=pizzetta | work=Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary | date=June 22, 2023 | url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pizzetta }} A person who makes pizza is known as a pizzaiolo.{{cite web |last1=Doane |first1=Seth |title=Bringing authentic Neapolitan pizza home |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bringing-authentic-neapolitan-pizza-home/ |publisher=CBS News |date=November 20, 2022}}

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.{{Cite news |last=Uyehara |first=Mari |date=October 6, 2023 |title=The Many Lives of Tomato Pie |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/06/dining/tomato-pie-pizza.html |access-date=October 15, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}

{{Main|History of pizza}}

File:Pizzaiolo-1830.jpg

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{{Cite book |last=Barrett |first=Liz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vPCuBAAAQBAJ |title=Pizza, A Slice of American History |publisher=Voyageur Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-7603-4560-3 |page=13 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Edwards |first=W. P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oCVPjK0mSfkC&pg=PA199 |title=The Science of Bakery Products |date=2007 |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |isbn=978-0-85404-486-3 |page=199 |language=en}} and the ancient Greeks supplemented their bread with oils, herbs, and cheese.{{cite book|last1=Talati-Padiyar|first1=Dhwani|title=Travelled, Tasted, Tried & Tailored: Food Chronicles|isbn=978-1304961358|date=March 8, 2014|publisher=Lulu publishers }}{{cite book|author=Buonassisi, Rosario|title=Pizza: From its Italian Origins to the Modern Table|year=2000|publisher=Firefly|page=78}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://dcc.dickinson.edu/eimmart-aeneas-and-trojans-fulfill-anchises-prophecy|title=Aeneas and Trojans fulfill Anchises' prophecy.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329051513/http://dcc.dickinson.edu/eimmart-aeneas-and-trojans-fulfill-anchises-prophecy|archive-date=March 29, 2017}} 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".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66031341|title=Pompeii archaeologists discover 'pizza' painting|work=BBC News |publisher=BBC|date=June 17, 2023}}{{cite news |title=Pizza's possible 'distant ancestor' found painted in the ruins of Pompeii |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-28/pizza-distant-ancestor-painting-roman-house-pompeii/102533868 |access-date=June 28, 2023 |work=ABC News |date=June 27, 2023 |language=en-AU}} The first mention of the word pizza seemingly comes from a notarial document written in Latin and dating to 997{{nbsp}}CE 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.{{cite book|last1=Helstosky|first1=Carol|title=Pizza: A Global History|date=2008|publisher=Reaktion|location=London|isbn=978-1-86189-391-8|pages=21–22}} 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.{{Cite book |last=de Sanctis |first=Francesco |author-link=Francesco de Sanctis |title=La giovinezza di Francesco de Sanctis: frammento autobiografico |pages=39 |quote=In the evening we often used to go eating pizza in some rooms at the Piazza della Carità.}}

A popular legend holds that the archetypal pizza, pizza Margherita,{{cite web

|url=https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/recipe/pizza/margherita-pizza

|title=Margherita Pizza

|date=November 9, 2021

|publisher=La Cucina Italiana

|access-date=June 18, 2024}} was invented in 1889, when the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizzaiolo ({{gloss|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,{{cite web | title = Pizza Margherita: History and Recipe | url = http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/recipes/pizza-margherita-history-and-recipe | work = Italy Magazine | date = March 14, 2011 | access-date = April 23, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130207192931/http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy-featured/recipes/pizza-margherita-history-and-recipe | archive-date = February 7, 2013 | url-status = dead }} 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.{{Cite book |last1=Hales |first1=Dianne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_f9cU9A5l-0C |title=La Bella Lingua |date=May 12, 2009 |publisher=Crown |isbn=978-0767932110 |pages=204 |language=sv-US |access-date=August 29, 2024 |archive-url= |archive-date= }} 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 Margherita were first promoted in the 1930s–1940s.{{cite web |date=December 28, 2012 |title=Was margherita pizza really named after Italy's queen? |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/20515123 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231225517/http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/20515123 |archive-date=December 31, 2012 |access-date=December 31, 2012 |work=BBC Food |publisher=BBC}}{{Cite journal |last=Nowak |first=Zachary |date=March 2014 |title=Folklore, Fakelore, History: Invented Tradition and the Origins of the Pizza Margherita |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263340437 |journal=Food, Culture & Society |language=en |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=103–124 |doi=10.2752/175174414X13828682779249 |s2cid=142371201 |issn=1552-8014}}

Pizza was taken to the United States by Italian immigrants in the late 19th century{{cite book|last1=Helstosky|first1=Carol|title=Pizza: A Global History|date=2008|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-86189-630-8|page=48}} and first appeared in areas where they concentrated. The country's first pizzeria, Lombardi's, opened in New York City in 1905.{{cite book|last1=Nevius|first1= Michelle |last2= Nevius|first2= James|year=2009|title= Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City|location=New York|publisher= Free Press|isbn=978-1416589976| pages=194–95}} 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.{{cite web|last1=Turim|first1=Gayle|title=A Slice of History: Pizza Through the Ages|url=http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/a-slice-of-history-pizza-through-the-ages|website=History.com|access-date=November 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218222816/http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/a-slice-of-history-pizza-through-the-ages|archive-date=December 18, 2014|url-status=live}}

The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana ({{literally|True Neapolitan Pizza Association}}) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 with headquarters in Naples that aims to promote traditional Neapolitan pizza.{{cite web |title=Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) |url=http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/eng_chisiamo.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709015157/http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/eng_chisiamo.php |archive-date=July 9, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2017}} In 2009, upon Italy's request, Neapolitan pizza was registered with the European Union as a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) dish,Official Journal of the European Union, [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:034:0007:0016:EN:PDF Commission regulation (EU) No 97/2010] {{Web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603155915/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:034:0007:0016:EN:PDF|date=June 3, 2013}}, February 5, 2010.International Trademark Association, [http://www.inta.org/INTABulletin/Pages/EUROPEANUNIONPIZZANAPOLETANAObtainsTraditionalSpecialityGuaranteedStatus.aspx European Union: Pizza napoletana obtains "Traditional Speciality Guaranteed" status] {{Web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084957/http://www.inta.org/INTABulletin/Pages/EUROPEANUNIONPIZZANAPOLETANAObtainsTraditionalSpecialityGuaranteedStatus.aspx|date=August 19, 2014}}, April 1, 2010. and in 2017 the art of its making was included on 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 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.

File:Pizza 1 bg.jpg|Pizza dough being kneaded before being left undisturbed and allowed time to proof

File:Pizza being tossed.jpg|Tossing pizza dough to stretch it

File:Neapolitan pizza.jpg|An unbaked Neapolitan pizza on a metal peel, ready for the oven

File:Frozen pizza.jpg|A wrapped, mass-produced frozen pizza to be baked at home

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.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bmI2YJ1vMxMC&pg=PA3 | title=Make Great Pizza at Home | publisher=Taste of America Press | author=Owens, Martin J. | year=2003 | page=3 | isbn=978-0-9744470-0-1 | access-date=December 12, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527174523/https://books.google.com/books?id=bmI2YJ1vMxMC&pg=PA3 | archive-date=May 27, 2016 | url-status=live }} 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.{{cite news |last1=Chen |first1=Angus |title=Pizza Physics: Why Brick Ovens Bake The Perfect Italian-Style Pie |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/23/630544154/pizza-physics-why-brick-ovens-bake-the-perfect-italian-style-pie |access-date=July 25, 2018 |work=NPR |date=July 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724111753/https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/23/630544154/pizza-physics-why-brick-ovens-bake-the-perfect-italian-style-pie |archive-date=July 24, 2018 |url-status=live }} 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,{{cite web|url=https://www.californo.co/collections/pizza-oven-kits/|title=pizza oven kits|publisher=Californo|access-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426080338/https://www.californo.co/collections/pizza-oven-kits/|archive-date=April 26, 2018|url-status=live}} 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.

File:Pizza im Pizzaofen von Maurizio.jpg|Pizzas baking in a traditional wood-fired brick oven

File:Pizza baking in Wood-fired oven.jpg|A pizza being removed with a wooden peel

File:Pizza Margherita stu spivack.jpg|A pizza Margherita

File:Eataly Las Vegas - Feb 2019 - Sarah Stierch 12.jpg|Charred crust on a pizza Margherita, an acceptable trait in artisanal pizza

File:Grilled_pizza_2.jpg|Pizza grilling on an outdoor gas range

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.{{cite book|last1=Braimbridge|first1=Sophie|last2=Glynn|first2=Joanne|title=Food of Italy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nXUkqkBA-DkC&pg=PA167|year=2005|publisher=Murdoch Books|isbn=978-1-74045-464-3|page=167|access-date=December 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160614000129/https://books.google.com/books?id=nXUkqkBA-DkC&pg=PA167|archive-date=June 14, 2016|url-status=live}} Some pizza dough contains sugar, to help its yeast rise and enhance browning of the crust.{{cite book|last=DeAngelis|first=Dominick A.|title=The Art of Pizza Making: Trade Secrets and Recipes|date=December 1, 2011|publisher=The Creative Pizza Company|isbn=978-0-9632034-0-3|pages=20–28}}

Mozzarella is commonly used on pizza, with the buffalo mozzarella produced in the surroundings of Naples.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/magazine/buffalo-mozzarella-craig-ramini.html?pagewanted=all|title=Go Ahead, Milk My Day|first=Sam|last=Anderson|date=October 11, 2012|access-date=November 7, 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717093819/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/magazine/buffalo-mozzarella-craig-ramini.html?pagewanted=all|archive-date=July 17, 2014|url-status=live}} 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 {{convert|1|e6MT|ST|abbr=off}} in the US and {{convert|100000|MT|ST|abbr=off}} in Europe.{{cite book |title=Fundamentals of Cheese Science |last=Fox |first=Patrick F. |year=2000 |publisher=Aspen Pub |isbn=978-0-8342-1260-2 |page=482 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-oRp5VCVTQQC&q=pizza+cheese&pg=PA482 |display-authors=etal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514100205/https://books.google.com/books?id=-oRp5VCVTQQC&pg=PA482&dq=pizza+cheese |archive-date=May 14, 2016 |url-status=live }}

{{Main|List of pizza varieties by country}}

A great number of pizza varieties exist, defined by the choice of toppings and sometimes also crust. There are also several styles of pizza, defined by their preparation method. The following lists feature only the notable ones.

File:Traditional pizza from Napoli.jpg—tomatoes (red), mozzarella (white), and basil (green)—are held by popular legend to be inspired by the colors of the national flag of Italy.{{cite book|author=Arturo Iengo|title=Cucina Napoletana: 100 Recipes from Italy's Most Vibrant City|publisher=New Holland Publishers|isbn=978-1-84537-989-6|year=2008|page=126|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aat2zzXHDrMC&q=pizzeria+Brandi&pg=PA126|access-date=December 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616053516/https://books.google.it/books?id=aat2zzXHDrMC&pg=PA126&dq=pizzeria+Brandi&hl=it&sa=X&ei=N6-EU6bFMKGs0QX3poCIAQ&ved=0CGsQ6AEwCQ|archive-date=June 16, 2018|url-status=dead}}]]

Authentic Neapolitan pizza (Italian: pizza napoletana) is made with San Marzano tomatoes, grown on the volcanic plains south of Mount Vesuvius, and either mozzarella di bufala campana, made with milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio,{{cite web |url=http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/qual/it/147_it.htm |title=Selezione geografica |publisher=Europa.eu.int |date=February 23, 2009 |access-date=April 2, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050218123118/http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/qual/it/147_it.htm |archive-date=February 18, 2005 }} or fior di latte.{{cite web

|url=https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/how-to-cook/how-to-make-neapolitan-pizza

|title=How to Make Neapolitan Pizza

|date=June 16, 2020

|publisher=La Cucina Italiana

|access-date=June 18, 2024}} Buffalo mozzarella is protected with its own European protected designation of origin (PDO). Other traditional pizzas include pizza marinara, supposedly the most ancient tomato-topped pizza,{{cite web |url=http://cultura.biografieonline.it/storia-della-pizza-napoletana/ |title=La vera storia della pizza napoletana |publisher=Biografieonline.it |date=May 20, 2013 |access-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629185436/http://cultura.biografieonline.it/storia-della-pizza-napoletana/ |archive-date=June 29, 2013 |url-status=live }} pizza capricciosa, which is prepared with mozzarella cheese, baked ham, mushroom, artichoke, and tomato.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mm_xkiHltdAC&pg=PA244 | title=Rough Guide Phrasebook: Italian: Italian | page=244 | isbn=978-1-4053-8646-3 | date=August 1, 2011 | editor=Rough Guides | access-date=December 12, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512221201/https://books.google.com/books?id=mm_xkiHltdAC&pg=PA244 | archive-date=May 12, 2016 | url-status=live | last1=Guides | first1=Rough | publisher=Penguin }}

A popular variant of pizza in Italy is Sicilian pizza,{{cite web|title=What is Sicilian Pizza?|url=http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-sicilian-pizza.htm|work=WiseGeek|access-date=April 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314100947/http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-sicilian-pizza.htm|archive-date=March 14, 2013|url-status=live}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PyNb-aKOlqAC&q=Sfincione&pg=PT55 |title=Made In Sicily |author=Giorgio Locatelli |date=December 26, 2012 |publisher=Harper Collins |access-date=July 4, 2013 |isbn=978-0-06-213038-9 |archive-date=May 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502112933/https://books.google.com/books?id=PyNb-aKOlqAC&q=Sfincione&pg=PT55 |url-status=live }} 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.{{cite web|last1=Gangi|first1=Roberta|title=Sfincione|url=http://bestofsicily.com/mag/art250.htm|publisher=Best of Sicily Magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402082228/http://bestofsicily.com/mag/art250.htm|archive-date=April 2, 2014|date=2007}} Other variations of pizzas are also found in other regions of Italy, for example pizza al padellino or pizza al tegamino, a small-sized, thick-crust, deep-dish pizza typically served in Turin, Piedmont.{{cite web |url=http://www.agrodolce.it/2014/04/03/torino-la-riscoperta-della-pizza-al-padellino/ |title=Torino: la riscoperta della pizza al padellino |publisher=Agrodolce |access-date=December 8, 2015 |date=April 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208225145/http://www.agrodolce.it/2014/04/03/torino-la-riscoperta-della-pizza-al-padellino/ |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.gelapajo.it/pizza-al-padellino-che-cose/ |title=Pizza al padellino (o tegamino): che cos'è? |publisher=Gelapajo.it |access-date=December 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210202900/http://www.gelapajo.it/pizza-al-padellino-che-cose/ |archive-date=December 10, 2015 }}{{cite web |url=http://torino.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/01/19/news/beniamino_il_profeta_della_pizza_gourmet-50867170/?refresh_ce |title=Beniamino, il profeta della pizza gourmet |date=January 19, 2013 |publisher=Torino – Repubblica.it |access-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208211633/http://torino.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/01/19/news/beniamino_il_profeta_della_pizza_gourmet-50867170/?refresh_ce |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Pizza in the United States}}

File:Pizza tasting in the Roosevelt Room.jpg serving Chicago-style pizza (2009)]]

File:NewYorkSlices.jpg of New York–style pizza]]

The first pizzeria in the US was opened in New York City's Little Italy in 1905.{{cite book |title=New York City 7 |last=Otis |first=Ginger Adams |year=2010 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1741795912 |page=256 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=btN9Lh8v3OQC&q=New+York-style+pizza&pg=PA256 |access-date=November 1, 2012 |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221104604/https://books.google.com/books?id=btN9Lh8v3OQC&q=New+York-style+pizza&pg=PA256 |url-status=live }} Common toppings for pizza in the United States include anchovies, ground beef, chicken, ham, mushrooms, olives, onions, peppers, pepperoni, pineapple, salami, sausage, spinach, steak, and tomatoes. Distinct regional types developed in the 20th century, including Buffalo,{{cite news |last1=Bovino |first1=Arthur |title=Is America's Pizza Capital Buffalo, New York? |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-americas-pizza-capital-buffalo-new-york |newspaper=The Daily Beast |access-date=December 10, 2019 |date=August 13, 2018 |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221104621/https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-americas-pizza-capital-buffalo-new-york |url-status=live }} California, Chicago, Detroit, Greek, New Haven, New York, and St. Louis styles.{{cite web|url= http://cuip.uchicago.edu/wit/99/teams/pizza/pizzastory.htm|title=Pizza Garden: Italy, the Home of Pizza|publisher=CUIP Chicago Public Schools – University of Chicago Internet Project |access-date=August 1, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019184509/http://cuip.uchicago.edu/wit/99/teams/pizza/pizzastory.htm|archive-date=October 19, 2013}} These regional variations include deep-dish, stuffed, pockets, turnovers, rolled, and pizza-on-a-stick, each with seemingly limitless combinations of sauce and toppings.

Thirteen percent of the United States population consumes pizza on any given day.{{cite web|last1=Rhodes|first1=Donna G.|last2=Adler|first2=Meghan E.|last3=Clemens|first3=John C.|last4=LaComb|first4=Randy P.|last5=Moshfegh|first5=Alanna J.|title=Consumption of Pizza|url=http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12355000/pdf/DBrief/11_consumption_of_pizza_0710.pdf|publisher=Food Surveys Research Group|access-date=September 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141005073823/http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12355000/pdf/DBrief/11_consumption_of_pizza_0710.pdf|archive-date=October 5, 2014|url-status=live}} Pizza chains such as Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's, pizzas from take and bake pizzerias, and chilled or frozen pizzas from supermarkets make pizza readily available nationwide.

{{Main|Argentine pizza}}

File:Pizzas Buenos Aires.png de molde being prepared at a pizzeria in Buenos Aires]]

Argentine pizza is a mainstay of the country's cuisine,{{cite book|via=Google Books|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uax8dwX9gIwC&pg=PA40|page=40|accessdate=December 10, 2022|title=The Rough Guide to Argentina|year=2000|isbn=978-185-828-569-6|first1=Danny|last1=Aeberhard|first2=Andrew|last2=Benson|first3=Lucy|last3=Phillips|publisher=Rough Guides}} especially of its capital Buenos Aires, where it is regarded as a cultural heritage and icon of the city.Pizzerías de valor patrimonial de Buenos Aires (2008), p. 11.{{cite web|url=https://www.saveur.com/buenos-aires-pizza-guide/|work=Saveur|accessdate=December 10, 2022|date=April 25, 2016|last=Lazar|first=Allie|title=Buenos Aires Makes Some of the World's Best (and Weirdest) Pizza}}{{cite web|location=Buenos Aires|accessdate=August 4, 2023|url=https://www.clarin.com/gourmet/reivindicacion-pizza-molde-argentina_0_xiem20omX.html|work=Clarín|language=es|title=La reivindicación de la pizza de molde argentina|first=Pietro|last=Sorba|date=October 15, 2021}} Argentina is the 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 is Buenos Aires, the city with the highest consumption of pizzas in the world (estimated in 2015 to be 14 million per year).{{cite web|language=es|url=https://www.tapasmagazine.es/buenos-aires-la-ciudad-de-la-pizza/|title=Buenos Aires: la ciudad de la pizza|first=Leire|last=Gómez|date=July 17, 2015|work=Tapas|location=Madrid|publisher={{ill|SpainMedia|es|Spainmedia}}|accessdate=December 10, 2022}} As such, the city has been considered as one of the world capitals of pizza. The dish was introduced to 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{{cite web

|url=https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/recipe/pizza/margherita-pizza

|title=Margherita Pizza

|date=November 9, 2021

|publisher=La Cucina Italiana

|access-date=June 18, 2024}} was being invented in Italy, pizza were already being cooked in the Argentine capital.{{cite web|language=es|accessdate=December 10, 2022|work=Entremujeres. Clarín|title=De Nápoles a la Argentina: la historia de la pizza y cómo llegó a ser un emblema nacional|date=October 6, 2018|first1=Joaquín|last1=Hidalgo|first2=Martín|last2=Auzmendi|url=https://www.clarin.com/entremujeres/bienestar/napoles-argentina-historia-pizza-llego-emblema-nacional_0_y6rkpAMtG.html}} The impoverished Italian immigrants that arrived to the city transformed the originally modest dish into a much more hefty meal, motivated by the abundance of food in Argentina.{{cite web|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/la-historia-de-la-pizza-argentina-de-donde-salio-la-media-masa-nid2036460/|title=La historia de la pizza argentina: ¿de dónde salió la media masa?|last=Acuña|first=Cecilia|date=June 26, 2017|work=La Nación|language=es|accessdate=December 10, 2022}} 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{{When|date=June 2024|reason=What is '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, fugazzetas or fugazzas.{{cite web|url=https://www.clarin.com/gourmet/pizza-piedra-vs-pizza-molde-estilos-dividen-argentinos_0_fRKZJsDcfK.html|language=es|work=Clarín|accessdate=December 10, 2022|title=Pizza a la piedra vs. pizza al molde: dos estilos que dividen a los argentinos|last=Pepe Arias|first=Gimena|date=June 25, 2022}}

Other styles of Argentine pizza include the iconic fugazza and its derivative fugazzeta or fugazza con queso (a terminology that varies depending on the pizzeria), or the pizza de cancha or canchera (a cheese-less variant).{{cite web|url=https://www.clarin.com/espectaculos/angelin-cumple-80-anos-mitos-verdades-pizzeria-indispensable_0_TNCM6gY3F.html|first=Hernán|last=Firpo|date=October 20, 2018|accessdate=December 11, 2022|work=Clarín|language=es|title=Angelín cumple 80 años: mitos y verdades de una pizzería indispensable}} Most pizza menus include standard flavor combinations, including the traditional plain mozzarella, nicknamed "muza" or "musa"; 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;{{cite web|url=https://www.diariodemocracia.com/locales/junin/95363-seis-variedades-clasicas-pizzas-supieron-trascende/|title=Tipos de pizzas en Argentina|date=January 10, 2015|language=es|location=Junín|work=Diario Democracia|accessdate=December 11, 2022}} jamon y morrones, 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 fainá, a pancake made from chickpea flour.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220509-fain-buenos-aires-unusual-pizza-topping|title=Buenos Aires' unusual pizza topping|publisher=BBC Travel|first=Amy|last=Booth|accessdate=December 10, 2022|date=May 10, 2022}}

The terms dessert pizza and sweet pizza are used for a variety of dishes resembling a pizza, including chocolate pizza and fruit pizza.{{cite news |last1=Colognese |first1=Marco |title=Sweet pizza, the new dessert in pizzeria |url=https://pizzastories.le5stagioni.it/en/lifestyle/sweet-pizza-the-new-dessert-in-pizzeria |access-date=May 6, 2024 |work=pizzastories.le5stagioni.it}}{{cite web |title=These Sweet Dessert Pizza Recipes Are A Little Slice Of Heaven |url=https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/g2793/dessert-pizza/ |website=Delish |access-date=May 6, 2024 |date=June 24, 2020}} Some are based on a traditional yeast dough pizza base,{{cite web |title=Chocolate pizza |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-pizza |website=Good Food |publisher=BBC |access-date=May 6, 2024 |language=en}} while others have a cookie-like base{{cite web |title=Chocolate Cookie Pizza |url=https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-cookie-pizza/e759938d-a712-4da5-8aea-986062f9c2e2 |website=BettyCrocker.com |access-date=May 6, 2024 |language=en}} and resemble a traditional pizza solely in having a flat round shape with a distinct base and topping. Some pizza restaurants offer dessert pizzas.{{cite web |title=Menu: Desserts |url=https://mobile-pay.pizzaexpress.com/restaurant-menu/main-menu |website= |publisher=Pizza Express |access-date=May 6, 2024}}{{cite web |title=Menu |url=https://www.pepeingrani.it/menu-en |website=www.pepeingrani.it |publisher=Pepe in Grani |access-date=May 6, 2024 |language=en}}

Some pizzas mass-produced 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 {{convert|14|inch|cm|abbr=on}} pizza in fast food chains.{{cite web |url= https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173292/nutrients |title= Basic Report 21299: Fast Food, Pizza Chain, 14" pizza, cheese topping, regular crust |publisher= National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference |date= September 28, 2014 |access-date= September 28, 2014 |archive-date= April 3, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190403171801/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173292/nutrients |url-status= dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.food.gov.uk/science/surveillance/fsis2004branch/fsis5804 |title= Survey of pizzas |publisher=Food Standards Agency |date=July 8, 2004 |access-date=April 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051228212200/http://www.food.gov.uk/science/surveillance/fsis2004branch/fsis5804 |archive-date=December 28, 2005}}{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7050585.stm |title=Health | Fast food salt levels "shocking" |work=BBC News |date=October 18, 2007 |access-date=April 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115140402/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7050585.stm |archive-date=January 15, 2009 |url-status=live }}

File:Focaccia con rosmarino.jpg]]

File:Panzerotti chez PanzerotTiamo (Lyon) - 2.jpg]]

• 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.{{cite web |title=Brick Oven Cecina |url=http://fornobravo.com/brick_oven_cooking/brick_oven_recipes/flatbread/cecina.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016090551/http://www.fornobravo.com/brick_oven_cooking/brick_oven_recipes/flatbread/cecina.html |archive-date=October 16, 2006 |access-date=April 2, 2009 |publisher=Fornobravo.com}} 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 ({{literally|white pizza}}).{{cite book |last=Riolo |first=A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RZbDBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA260 |title=The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook |publisher=American Diabetes Association |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-58040-483-9 |page=260}}
• 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.
• 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.{{cite news |last1=McKernan |first1=Bethan |date=October 27, 2016 |title=A 'pizza war' has broken out between Turkey and Armenia |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/pizza-war-breaks-out-between-turkey-and-armenia-a7383471.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161217165743/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/pizza-war-breaks-out-between-turkey-and-armenia-a7383471.html |archive-date=December 17, 2016 |access-date=December 10, 2016 |work=The Independent}}
• Manakish is a Levantine flatbread dish.
• Matzah pizza is a Jewish pizza dish.
• Panzerotti are similar to calzones, but fried rather than baked.
• Pastrmalija 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.
• Pissaladière 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.
• Okonomiyaki, often referred to as "Japanese pizza", is a Japanese dish cooked on a hotplate.{{cite web |title=hanamiweb.com |url=http://www.hanamiweb.com/okonomiyaki.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318144611/http://www.hanamiweb.com/okonomiyaki.html |archive-date=March 18, 2007 |access-date=December 7, 2015}}
• Pizza cake is a multiple-layer pizza.
• Pizza rolls are a frozen snack product.
• Pizza strips is a tomato pie of Italian-American origin.
• Wähe 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 filo dough, filled with minced beef, onions, and an egg, similar to Moroccan basṭīla.{{cite book |last=Samuelsson |first=Marcus |title=The soul of a new cuisine : a discovery of the foods and flavors of Africa |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7645-6911-1 |publication-place=Hoboken, N.J |oclc=61748426}}
• Zwiebelkuchen is a German onion tart, often baked with diced bacon and caraway seeds.

{{Commons category-inline|Pizzas}}

{{Portal|Italy|Food}}

{{div col}}

• List of baked goods
• List of pizza chains
• List of pizza varieties by country
• Pizza cheese – cheese for use specifically on pizza
• Pizza delivery – service in which a pizzeria delivers pizza to a customer
• Pizza farm – farm split into sections like a pizza split into slices
• Pizza party – social gathering at which pizza is eaten
• Pizza saver – object used to prevent the top of a food container from collapsing
• Pizza theorem – equality of areas of alternating sectors of a disk with equal angles through any interior point

{{div col end}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite web | author=Chudgar, Sonya | date=March 22, 2012 | url=http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/expert-guide-world-class-pizza | title=An Expert Guide to World-Class Pizza | magazine=QSR Magazine | access-date=October 16, 2012}}
• {{cite book |last1=Delpha |first1=J. |last2=Oringer |first2=K. |year=2015 | title=Grilled Pizza the Right Way | publisher=Macmillan | isbn=978-1-62414-106-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i8t-BAAAQBAJ }}
• {{cite book |last=Helstosky |first=Carol |title=Pizza: A Global History |location=London |publisher=Reaktion Books |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-86189-391-8 |oclc=225876066 }}
• {{cite journal |last=Kliman |first=Todd |url=http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/food-dining/easy-as-pie-a-guide-to-regional-pizza-styles/ |title=Easy as pie: A Guide to Regional Pizza |journal=The Washingtonian |date=September 5, 2012}} Explanation of eight pizza styles: Maryland, Roman, "Gourmet" Wood-fired, Generic boxed, New York, Neapolitan, Chicago, and New Haven.
• {{cite book|last=Raichlen |first=Steven |year=2008 |title=The Barbecue! Bible |publisher=Workman Publishing |isbn=978-0761149446 |pages=381–384 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FWKxatrLCjYC&q=%22grilled+pizza%22&pg=PA382 }}
• {{cite magazine | url=http://www.saveur.com/article/hubs/Pizza-Guide | title=The Saveur Ultimate Guide to Pizza | magazine=Saveur | access-date=November 2, 2014}}

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