Pizza
Pizza is a beloved fast food that originated in Naples, Italy, and has gained immense popularity worldwide due to globalization. Traditionally, it consists of a flatbread topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, baked until the crust is browned and the cheese melts. As pizza spread globally, various regional styles emerged, incorporating local ingredients and culinary traditions. The modern concept of pizza traces back to the sixteenth century when tomatoes, native to the Americas, were introduced to Europe. Italian immigrants brought pizza to the United States in the late 19th century, with Lombardi's, established in 1905, being the first known pizzeria there. The dish gained further traction after World War II, when American soldiers returning from Italy popularized it. Notable pizza chains like Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Papa John's have become major players in the global market, contributing to an estimated $160 billion pizza industry. With approximately 40% of Americans consuming pizza weekly, it remains a staple food enjoyed in various forms and styles across cultures.
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Pizza
Pizza is one of the most widely eaten and most popular fast foods in the world. Pizza originated in Naples, Italy, and, as a result of globalization, is now eaten in countries across the globe. In its traditional form, pizza is a flatbread that is covered in tomato sauce and topped with shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese and baked in an oven until the dough is browned and the cheese has melted. However, as the popularity of pizza spread worldwide, various styles of pizza have been created, consisting of various combinations of toppings that often reflect the local culture and cuisine. The pizza chains Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa John’s are among the top American fast-food franchises with the most international restaurants and are some of the most profitable fast food enterprises in the United States.
Overview
The exact origins of pizza remain a mystery, and pizza is thought to have developed as a variation of other flatbreads such as focaccia. Leavened and unleavened flatbreads with toppings were eaten in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome; however, the modern form of pizza, made with a tomato sauce, did not exist before the sixteenth century. Prior to the European conquest of the Americas, pizza’s predecessors consisted of a dough made with flour and water topped with olive oil, cheese, and various herbs. Tomatoes, native to Central and South America, were first brought to Europe between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and eventually made their way onto pizzas, reflecting a broader trend in which cooked tomatoes became a central ingredient in much of Italian cuisine. Pizza’s crust allowed it to be eaten without plates or utensils, which made it a popular food for peasants.
Italian immigrants, who settled in the United States in large numbers during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, brought pizza to American shores. The first known pizzeria in the United States was Lombardi’s, established by the Italian immigrant Gennaro Lombardi in Manhattan in 1905. However, pizza remained an ethnic Italian American food in the United States until the 1940s, when large numbers of American soldiers stationed in Italy during World War II became exposed to pizza and brought their hunger for it back to the United States when they returned home. Also, in 1943 the deep-dish pizza was invented in a Chicago dining establishment that came to be known as Uno’s; deep-dish pizza is baked inside a pan with edges rather than on a flat tray or stone and is marked by a much thicker crust and a thicker layer of toppings.
By the late twentieth century, pizza delivery had become popular nationwide in the United States. Pizza Hut was established in 1958, while Domino’s was established two years later. Little Caesars first opened in 1959, and John Schnatter founded Papa John’s Pizza in 1984. The first frozen pizzas were brought to market in the 1950s and 1960s by Celentano and Totino’s. According to a 2014 survey by the US Department of Agriculture, an estimated 40 percent of Americans eat pizza at least once per week. Furthermore, large US-based pizza chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut accounted for over $45.6 billion in global sales, comprising nearly one-third of the global market for pizza, which was valued at over $160 billion in 2020.
Bibliography
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