Pizza, main dish from Italy: what it is and how it is eaten

Pizza is a baked Italian dish with a leavened wheat dough base, most often topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Originating in Naples, it is now enjoyed worldwide in many forms, from restaurant meals to street food and frozen grocery options. Pizza is eaten hot or warm, cut into slices or whole, and comes in many regional styles.

Share on WhatsApp

Pizza originated in Naples, Italy
Neapolitan pizza is protected by the EU and UNESCO
Commonly topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese
Served whole or in slices, hot or warm
Popular as restaurant, street, and home-cooked food

What is Pizza?

Pizza is a round, flat bread made from leavened wheat dough, topped most commonly with tomato sauce and cheese, then baked at a high temperature. The cheese is usually mozzarella, but other cheeses and toppings are used in different styles. The crust can be thin or thick, and the pizza is often cut into slices. Pizza can be found fresh, frozen, or as a kit for home assembly. Its aroma is a mix of baked bread, melted cheese, and cooked tomato.

Where does Pizza come from?

The word 'pizza' first appeared in 997 AD in southern Italy, in Gaeta. Pizza as we know it developed in Naples in the 18th or early 19th century, evolving from earlier flatbreads topped with ingredients like garlic and cheese. Tomatoes were added after their arrival in Europe in the 16th century. The modern pizza became popular in Naples, and the Neapolitan style is now protected in the European Union and recognized by UNESCO as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage.

How is Pizza made?

Pizza starts with a dough made from wheat flour, yeast, water, salt, and sometimes sugar and oil. The dough is left to rise, then shaped into a round base. Tomato sauce is spread on top, followed by cheese—usually mozzarella—and other toppings as desired. It is baked at a high temperature, often in a wood-fired oven, until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted. In restaurants, pizzas may be baked on fire bricks or in electric ovens, while at home, a pizza stone or regular oven is used.

A pizza cut into eight slices, with one slice having a bite taken out of it.. Photo: igorovsyannykov, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

slice of pizza. Photo: Ljanosek, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How and when is Pizza eaten?

In Italy, pizza is served whole and unsliced in restaurants, eaten with knife and fork. In more casual settings, it is cut into slices and eaten by hand. Pizza is a common meal for lunch or dinner, but is also enjoyed as a snack or street food. It is sold in pizzerias, restaurants, and as take-away or delivery. Supermarkets offer frozen pizzas and kits for baking at home. Pizza is enjoyed alone or shared, and is a familiar part of gatherings and casual meals.

Kinds of Pizza

There are many regional and international styles of pizza. Neapolitan pizza uses San Marzano tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella. Sicilian pizza has a thick crust and is baked in a pan. In the United States, styles include New York thin crust and Chicago deep-dish. Toppings and cheeses vary widely, and some pizzas use processed cheese for consistency. Pizza may be seasoned with herbs or have stuffed crusts. Each region adapts pizza to local tastes.

What Pizza means

Pizza is one of the most popular foods worldwide, with a global market worth billions. The art of Neapolitan pizza making is recognized by UNESCO. In Italy, pizza is a symbol of national and regional identity, especially in Naples. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana promotes traditional Neapolitan pizza. Pizza is also a staple in many countries, adapted to local ingredients and customs, and is a common food for social occasions.

Questions people ask about Pizza

What is pizza made of?

Pizza is made from leavened wheat dough, topped with tomato sauce, cheese—usually mozzarella—and often other ingredients such as vegetables or meats. The assembled pizza is baked at high temperature.

Where did pizza originate?

Pizza comes from Naples, Italy. The word was first recorded in 997 AD in southern Italy, and the modern form developed in Naples in the 18th or early 19th century.

How is pizza usually served?

Pizza is served hot or warm. In Italian restaurants, it is presented whole and unsliced, eaten with knife and fork. In casual settings, it is cut into slices and eaten by hand.

Are there different types of pizza?

Yes, there are many styles, such as Neapolitan, Sicilian, New York, and Chicago. Each style varies in crust thickness, toppings, and baking method.

Is pizza always vegetarian?

Pizza varies. The basic version is vegetarian, with dough, tomato sauce, and cheese, but many pizzas include meat or fish toppings. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are both common.

Good reading and sources

Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Pizza", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Pizza