- Pizza originated from simple flatbreads made thousands of years ago in the Mediterranean, using flour, water, oil, and spices, but lacked tomatoes and cheese.
- Italy developed flatbreads, but tomatoes and cheese were not available until centuries later; cheese came with water buffaloes from India in the 7th century, and tomatoes arrived from Peru in 1522.
- Tomatoes were initially feared as poisonous, but Italian peasants tried them out of hunger, proving they were safe, leading to their adoption as a key pizza ingredient.
- For hundreds of years, pizza was only made in Naples, primarily in home kitchens, until 1738 when the first commercial pizza bakery opened, selling pizzas via street vendors.
- The first official pizza restaurant, “Port Alba,” opened in Naples in 1830, baked pizzas in a wood-burning oven lined with lava rocks from a nearby volcano, and remains open today.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of making inferences 5th grade worksheet.
