Pizza is not just food—it’s a culture with a rich history of interesting evolutions and developments. We Americans eat pizza more than regularly, but many of us might not know some of the most interesting tidbits about this delicious favorite. Check out a few tasty morsels of information about the history of pizza below:

Pizza Didn’t Originate From Italy

There is evidence of the first “pizzas” originating from ancient Rome, Greece, and Iran. These pizzas were made of flat and round breads with toppings. Although different European cultures adapted bread-and-toppings meal, such as the Greek pita, it was the cooks in Italy that developed the modern pizza from ancient times through the Middle Ages.

The Margherita Was the First Modern Pizza

Italy was introduced to the tomato in the 16^th century from the New World. At first, tomatoes were considered to be a “poor man’s food” by Italian nobility. However, tomatoes soon reinvented Italian cooking, and the popularity of pizza grew. Raffaele Esposito, the famous Naples chef, made the first Margherita pizza for the King and Queen of Italy in 1889, which symbolized the first modern pizza.

Pizza Became Popular in the US After WWII

Pizza was very slow to gain popularity in the US when it was first introduced by Italian settlers. However, when soldiers returned home from the European fronts after World War II, they sought out and popularized the dish with the public.

For 36 years, Riverfront Pizza & Sports Bar has been proudly cooking up authentic Italian cuisine in Covington, KY, offering classic, gourmet, and custom pizzas made from the highest quality ingredients. You can dine in and watch your favorite SEC team on 50” flat screen TVs or order online from home, where you can save 10% with your first order. You can also find them on Facebook, or call (859) 261-4800 for pick-up or pizza delivery.