Italian cuisine has long found its way into American culture, but its history here is unlike any other. As the most popular ethnic cuisine in the country, Italian-American food is a staple that you can find almost everywhere you go. Surprisingly, it wasn’t always such a culinary powerhouse. Here is a guide to how this food transformed from a small-time regional dish to a national favorite.

A Story of Immigration

Less than a century ago, not many people ate Italian cuisine outside the immigrant communities. Italian immigration, especially from southern Italy, was on the rise during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Most people stuck together in areas like New York City’s Little Italy and shared recipes from home with one another. With influence from all over the different regions, Italian Americans used those ideas to create original dishes.

Assimilation & Evolving Tastes

The return of Italian-American soldiers after World War II brought an increase in demand for Italian food. Because they had an entirely new set of resources, Italian Americans started to get creative. Meat was a luxury in southern Italy, but in the U.S., they could add low-cost meatballs into their spaghetti and layer beef into lasagna. Immigrants utilized what was affordable and readily available to Americans to form the hybrid dishes we know today.

Americans Embrace Italian Cuisine

With rising prosperity, chefs used higher quality ingredients with tastes familiar to non-Italian Americans. Their creativity and American spin on Italian cuisine brought in new customers from every background. Different regions produced unique tastes that native Italians couldn’t recognize. Pizza, for example, was thought to be invented in Naples, but Italian-American and Neapolitan pizza are world apart. From Chicago’s deep dish to New York’s crispy crust, even the options throughout America vary immensely.

Now that you know the history, fill up on delicious Italian cuisine from Guido’s Pizza. This Anchorage, AK, pizza shop handcrafts all your favorites, including baked lasagna, Italian sausage, and meatball sandwiches. Order a pizza delivery today and choose from countless topping combinations or pick one of their famous house specialties. To view their full menu, visit them online. Call (907) 563-2222 to place your order.