International Pizza Day is celebrated annually on February 9th.
Few products have gained such popularity as pizza. This seemingly simple Italian national dish, a thin flatbread filled with tomato paste, olive oil, tomato, mozzarella and basil, has earned respect and gained fans around the world.
It is no coincidence that the Italians turned to UNESCO with a request to recognize their historical gastronomic invention not just as a national treasure, but as part of World Values.
The debate about when pizza arose in the modern sense of the word does not subside. It is believed that this dish dates back to Ancient times and comes from the Latin word literally meaning «lip». Such dough cakes, filled with a variety of ingredients, were known in Italy, Greece, and Persia. However, it was Italian masters of culinary art who gave pizza that unforgettable taste that continues to captivate millions of people trying this dish for the first time. They were able to select the varieties of wheat from which flour is produced necessary for the dough, make the dough of the desired consistency, and accurately select seasonings and ingredients for the filling.
An exquisitely and harmoniously selected variety of filling options also determined the variety of types of pizza. The history of the appearance of individual pizza options has even become overgrown with legends. One of them concerns Margarita, beloved by many. Pizza as a dish understandable and familiar to modern people appeared in Naples at the beginning of the 19th century. She was a dish of the poor. Pizza Margarita became the fruit of the creative imagination of the chef, who prepared either specially to order, or by chance in 1889 this «author's» pizza for Queen Margarita, wife of King Umberto I. The pizza she liked later received the name of the queen.
Today in Italy, where pizza is revered as a national dish, there is even a Pizza Law, which strictly regulates both the composition of real Italian pizza and the entire process of its preparation, right down to where the ingredients should grow and cheese should be produced, how the dough should be prepared and at what temperature and in what way the dish should be prepared.
Photo: svry, licensed from Shutterstock.com
Already at the end of the 19th century, along with the waves of Italian emigration, pizza mastered new gastronomic markets, gaining enormous popularity not only in European countries, but also overseas. Over time, a huge variety of pizza options have appeared there, which, despite moving away from traditional recipes and requirements, continue to delight fans of this dish. Among these options, you can choose pizza according to your taste preferences: meat, cheese, seafood, vegetable, herbs, mushrooms and even fruits.
Along with the appearance of pizza in Italian cities, special bakers appeared who prepared — pizzaiolo pizza, as well as — pizzerias, restaurants where you could order and try your favorite dish. In the 20th century, the popularity of pizza became so high that even frozen semi-finished pizza products appeared, which the buyer only needed to heat in the oven or microwave.
Today, pizza continues to be one of the most revered dishes in the whole world. It is in consistently high demand in restaurants and also remains one of the most frequently ordered home-delivered dishes.
Pizza became one of the Guinness Book of Records record holders. For example, a pizza made in Moscow with an area of 22 square meters with a map of Moscow ended up there.
International Pizza Day is held not only in the homeland of this dish — in Italy, but throughout the world. Pizzerias and restaurants serving Italian cuisine are a constant participant in this holiday. Presentations, pizza workshops, exhibitions, fairs, and tastings are often timed to coincide with the holiday. A festival is held in Italy in which the best pizzaiolo masters take part.
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