Did you know pizza was mentioned in Virgil’s Aeneid? The characters ate discs of dough topped with things they had foraged in the woods. Pizza, as we know it, didn’t take off until the 18th century in Naples, Italy. So, how did a Naples staple make it to pizza restaurants in Meridian, ID?
An Economically Trying Time
Naples flourished in the late 18th century, but not everyone there prospered. The poorest people in Naples were the lazzaroni because of their ragged appearance, resembling that of Lazarus. Pizza emerged as cheap and portable food for the lazzaroni to eat while they rushed about trying to find work. Vendors and shops would cut pizza to fit how much money the buyer could offer. Pizzas came with different toppings, most of which weren’t tomato-based. Tomatoes were only recently discovered in the Americas. Despite being uncommon, they were used to make pizzas as they were always cheap. Gourmets at the time thought tomatoes were terrible.
Royal Elevation
Pizza was looked down upon as food for the poor well into the 19th century. However, all of that changed during a royal visit in 1889. King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in search of food that wasn’t French. They were served pizza by Raffaele Esposito, and the queen’s favorite was named after her. It had tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil and was named Margherita.
Despite its sudden elevation from food for the poor to food fit for a king and queen, pizza didn’t catch fire outside of Naples for some time. During the 1930s, people began migrating out of Naples, and thus, pizza began to spread. The World War spurred this development. After the war, tourism cemented pizza’s worldwide popularity and brought it to your favorite pizza restaurant in Meridian, ID.
For Neapolitan pizza from a pizza restaurant in Meridian, ID, visit Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria.
