What makes pizza so irresistible?
Pizza is an Italian dish. It is made from flat, round yeast bread. It is often topped with cheese and tomato sauce. Later, it is topped with meat—chicken, ground beef, salami, or ham—olives, onions, pepperoni, spinach, and tomatoes. Different flavors are used for pizzas, depending on the meat.
The process of preparing a pizza begins when it is cooked in a hot oven, allowing the crust to bake completely and the cheese to melt. It is usually served hot. Its origins are traced to the city of Naples, Italy, where flatbreads were widely available, as in the rest of Europe. Their original versions appeared in the 18th and 19th centuries. Baked flatbreads were topped with cheese, tomato, garlic, and oil. They were popular among the working classes and were served at cheap eateries and by street vendors.
A legend says pizza became famous in 1889. The Royal Palace of Capodimonte ordered a pizza maker, Raffaele Esposito, to impress the visiting Queen Margherita by preparing it. Although he is said to have made three varieties of pizza, the queen liked the one draped in the Italian flag’s colors of red, green, and white. To honor the queen’s preference, this pizza was named after the queen.
Authentic pizza in Naples is prepared with tomatoes that are grown on the volcanic plains, which are in the south of Mount Vesuvius. Other traditional pizzas include pizza marinara, a tomato-topped pizza; pizza capricciosa, with mozzarella, ham, and tomato; and pizza pugliese, with tomato, onions, and mozzarella.
Pizza’s popularity worldwide
Pizza was a native Neapolitan specialty until the 20th century. Then, it was introduced to America.
Gennaro Lombardi is credited with opening the first pizzeria (a pizza outlet) in 1905 in New York in the United States. He attracted renowned New Yorkers as clientele. His son George inherited his business, and their chain, Lombardi’s, inspired many other pizzerias in New York City. The dish caught on, and pizza chefs began experimenting with toppings and sauces.
Meanwhile, in Europe, many countries made dishes like pizza. These include the Alsatian flammkuchen, Sardinian pane carasau, French quiche, and German zwiebelkuchen.
After World War II ended, Americans introduced their style of pizza, which became famous globally. In the U.S., traditional pizza toppings are bacon, sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, peppers, and pepperoni. However, other U.S. states made use of different ingredients. They include pancetta, truffles, and arugula. The famous variants of this food item include deep-dish pizza from Chicago and California-style pizza.
By the 1950s, it became a native dish of America and began to be sold through pizza chains and local pizzerias. Neighborhood pizzerias began operating in the 1970s. In the U.S., large cities had pizza rooms run by Italian and Greek immigrants. The most famous pizza chains that started in the U.S. and became world-famous include Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s.
After North America and Europe, pizza forayed into other continents too, like Asia, South America, and Australia. The popular meat locally made its way into the several variations of pizza worldwide.
As people could also consume pizza meatless, its acceptance grew worldwide. Now, many places sell various vegetarian and vegan pizzas worldwide.
Pizza’s success in India
After India’s 1990s economic reforms, our country welcomed global companies to invest here. Foreign goods, like computers, electronics, cars, and banks, entered India. The restaurant and hospitality sector also followed suit. American and European fast-food joints, like McDonald’s and KFC, set up in India. These include Domino’s, Baskin Robbins, Café Coffee Day, Barista, Subway, and Barbeque Nation.
Along with burgers and ice creams, pizzas have become one of the most loved foreign dishes in India. According to the Financial Express, a major Indian business newspaper, the pizza market in India is worth INR 83 billion as of May 2024. The reason for the popularity of pizza rooms in India is that it is also available as a vegetarian dish.
Pizza Corner was the first pizza outlet to be opened in India in 1996. It was located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As of December 2023, India had over 1,860 pizza shops. Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut were the largest and second-largest pizza chains, respectively. About 35% of pizzas sold in India are now delivered by major food aggregators, like Swiggy, Zomato, and Food Panda. Also, Domino’s Pizza runs its food delivery app of its own.
Do you have a business proposition in India in the food sector? If it involves chocolates, burgers, brownies, and pizzas, you can consider being a franchisee of The Chocolate Room. A flourishing chocolate café, it is a strong brand with top food products. It offers great support to allow you to make the most of the massive demand for premium chocolate experiences. When you join forces with us, you can take part in spreading happiness with The Chocolate Room among the members of your community. To get more information about becoming a franchisee, contact us today!
