Contrary to popular belief, the first actual pizza was made by Greeks who used to bake large, round, flat breads and top them with olive oil, spices, potatoes and other vegetables. The first commercial pizza was developed in Italy in the 18th century, where they were commonly sold in markets and on street corners. The world's first pizzeria opened in Naples, Italy.
Early versions of pizza included no cheese or tomatoes. In 1889, Italian pizza chef Raffaele Esposito added cheese to a pizza specially made for Queen Margherita. The resulting masterpiece, known today as the Margherita pizza, contained cheese, basil, and tomato sauce-all ingredients chosen to represent the colors of the Italian flag. In America, the first pizzas were known as tomato pies.
It's estimated that 58 percent of Americans order pizza the day of the Super Bowl, making it the biggest takeout day of the pizza year calendar.
Frozen pizzas were introduced to Americans by the Celentano Brothersin 1957. At that time, frozen pizzas were only available in grocery stores. Within a few short years, pizza became the most popular frozen food sold in the United States and today can be found in bars, grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations.
In the United States, 36 percent of all pizza orders are for pepperoni, making it the most popular American pizza topping. Approximately 251,770,000 pounds of pepperoni topping is sold in America each year. In India, the most ordered toppings are pickled ginger, minced mutton and tofu.
Pizza is one of the most popular foods in America with 93 percent of the population eating pizza at least once per month. The average American consumes 46 slices of pizza per year.
Despite the invention of the popular Chicago deep dish pizza and other similar thicker crusts, thin crust pizza remains the most popular crust across the world. More than 61 percent of all pizza orders are for the thin crust variety.
Lorenzo Amato and Louis Piancone made a pizza that covered 10,000 square feet and weighed 44, 457 pounds in Havana, Florida. The gigantic pie was cut into 94,248 pieces and eaten by spectators.
