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Pizza has been around for centuries, but it has evolved into its current form very slowly. The first version was apparently produced by the Ancient Greeks; it was a flat, baked bread with assorted toppings called 'plankuntos'. Pizza bears the mark of many ancient cultures centered on the Mediterranean Sea.
The world's first real pizzeria was opened in 1830 in Naples. It was called "Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba". It's still in business today at Via Port'Alba 18 in Naples, Italy.
In the late 1800s pizza became very popular with royalty. When Rafaele Esposito cooked the first pizza for Umberto I and Queen Margherita in 1889, they loved it.
In 1895, pizza came to America. An Italian immigrant called Gennaro Lombardi opened the first American pizzeria in New York. The Americans went mad for it, and still do to this day.
Nowadays, Pizza is consumed all over the world, and many cultures have adapted it to their own preferences. But everyone will agree (Italian and non-Italian) that there's nothing like an Italian pizza.
Some classic Italian pizzas include: Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, basil and oil); Marinara (tomato, garlic, oil and oregano); Napoletana (tomato, mozzarella, anchovy, oregano and oil); Alla Fiamma (tomato, onion, oregano, hot peppers, olives and oil); Quattro Stagioni (tomatoes, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, mushrooms, olives and oil); Capricciosa (tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, oregano, olives, artichoke hearts and mushrooms).
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