Pizza!

  Pizza is a food loved by all and is definitely a staple here in America.  It is served at birthday parties, devoured at sleep overs, eaten during football games, and also on those hectic days where there is no time for cooking.  Pizza is such an easy food to like because it comes in so many different varieties and is easily customizable.  You can pick from thin or thick crust, a variety of cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella, and you can stop there or you can continue to add meats like pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, or hamburger.  You can also top your pizza with vegetables, mushrooms, anchovies, taco toppings, and the list just goes on and on. I looked online and found out just a little bit more about this yummy food.
   It is agreed by many that the origin of a pizza like food goes back to ancient times.  Ancient Middle-Eastern cultures like the Egyptians and Babylonians were known to eat unleavened bread that was baked in mud ovens. The bread was often topped with olive oil and seasonings. The more familiar pizza was thought to have originated in Italy though. In the 18th century flat bread "pizza's" that were not topped with anything were sold and enjoyed in the markets and on the streets of Naples. These pizzas were very cheap and so they were often sold to the poor.  In the late 1880's Queen Margherita and her husband went on an inspection tour of Italy.  While on this tour the queen noticed many people eating the pizzas and had her guard bring her one to try.  The queen loved the pizza, which was a little controversial since it was considered a peasant food, but this did not bother the queen and she ate them every time she was among the people. The queen then summoned the chef of a pizzeria by the name of Rafaelle Esposito to come to her palace in order to make pizza for her.  The chef wanted to make a pizza to honor the queen and so he topped it with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to represent the three colors of the Italian flag (red, white, and green).  The queen loved the new pizza and it was soon enjoyed by many Italian people.  After this pizza the world began to see new variations and ingredients like meat and vegetables began to be added. 
   Although Italian immigrants had been selling pizza for some time it wasn't until after World War II that pizza became very popular among Americans. Returning soldiers told about this delicious food after many of them tasted it for the first time while they had occupied Italian territories.


Fun Facts:
-February 9th is international pizza day
-According to the Guinness book of world record the largest pizza ever made and eaten was 100 ft and 1 inch across and was made in Havana, Florida
-The first pizzeria in North America was opened by Gennaro Lombardi in 1905 in New York City
-In 1930 the first Pizza Hut appeared in the United States
- Rose Totino created the first frozen pizza
-Pepperoni is the number one topping choice in the United States
-Americans eat around 350 slices of pizza per second

Information from:
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART/pizzahistory.html
http://aboutpizza.com/page.asp?PageID=44
http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/pizza.htm

Picture from:
http://www.free-extras.com/search/1/pizza.htm