[Sca-cooks] 16th Century Pizza

[Johnna Holloway]

Here's something akin to 'they spiced rotten meat and ate it'...

Pizza dates to 1522 according to whatscookingamerica.net.
This date is now being cited all over the web as the authentic date
for pizza with tomatoes.

* 16th Century*

*1522* - Tomatoes were brought back to Europe from the New World (Peru). 
Originally they were thought to be poisonous, but later the poorer 
people of Naples added the new tomatoes to their yeast dough and created 
the first simple pizza, as we know it. They usually had only flour, 
olive oil, lard, cheese, and herbs with which to feed their families. 
All of Italy proclaimed the Neapolitan pies to be the best. At that 
time, the Tavern of the Cerrigloi was a hangout for the Spanish soldiers 
of the Viceroy. It is said that they flocked there to feast on the 
specialty of the house - pizza.
 

* 17th Century*

By the 17th Century, pizza had achieved a local popularity among 
visitors to Naples who would venture into the poorer sections to taste 
this peasant dish made by men called "pizzaioli."

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Pizza/PizzaHistory.htm

Johnna