Some US stats regarding pizza...
1522: The tomato arrives in Italy from Peru and Ecuador courtesy of Spanish conquistadors.
1830: Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba, widely considered the first pizzeria in the world1, opens in Naples, Italy. They are still serving pizza.
1889: Pizzaiolo (pizza chef) Raffaele Esposito of Naples creates pizzas at the request of Queen Margherita di Savoia of Italy. Her favourite is a pizza consisting of tomatoes, mozzerella and basil (red, white and green, the colours of the Italian flag), which later became known as Pizza alla Margherita, the standard on which all modern pizza is based.
1905: Italian immigrant Gennaro Lombardi opens the first pizzeria in the United States in New York City. Lombardi's is also still open.
1943: Ike Sewell introduces Chicago-style deep dish pizza at his Pizzeria Uno restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Pizzeria Uno continues to sell Chicago-style pizza nationwide.
1946 - 8: Soldiers returning from World War II spread the word about pizza having tried it while stationed in Italy; popularity of pizza increases.
1957: Frozen pizzas appear in supermarkets for shoppers to take home and bake in their own ovens.
1958: The first Pizza Hut opens in Wichita, Kansas. Pizza Hut goes on to become the largest pizza chain worldwide. In 2006 worldwide sales exceed 1.7 million pizzas daily.
Im off for a smoke to see if I can stop thinking about pizza. |
