International Pizza Month: The Best Cities to Visit for Pizza
National Pizza Month gives us 31 excuses to explore the world of pizza and all the flavours it offers - that's a pizza a day (as if we need an excuse).
From ancient family recipes cooked to the wood-fired pizzas cooked in a generations-old restaurant and everything in between, it's no wonder pizza is considered the world's favourite food - it's definitely one of ours. Whether you prefer Margherita, pepperoni or even the controversial Hawaiian, there's nothing like the soft melted cheese tangy tomato sauce and delicious bread base. So we're always up for celebrating the delicious Italian staple.
The History of Pizza
Pizza has a much longer history than most people realise. It began as flatbreads with toppings in ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece - the latter created a version with oil and herbs, which evolved into modern-day focaccia. But pizza, as we know it today, originates in southwestern Italy's Campania Region - home to the city of Naples.
Founded by Greek settlers around 600 B.C., by the 1700s and early 1800s Naples was a thriving waterfront city - an independent kingdom notorious for its high proportion of working poor. Like many of the now popular dishes, pizza was the food of the poor - they were inexpensive, easy to consume quickly and, even then, they featured tasty toppings such as tomatoes, cheese oil, anchovies and garlic. Still, the upper classes and Italian authors called the working poor's eating habits 'disgusting'.
It wasn't until Italy unified in 1861 and King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889 that opinions started to change. As the legend goes, the royals were tired of their steady diet of French haute cuisine and asked for an assortment of pizzas from Pizzeria Brandi. (You can still visit the restaurant, which is owned by the fifth generation of the Brandi family.) The variety the queen enjoyed most was called pizza mozzarella, a pie topped with soft white cheese, red tomatoes and green basil - and from that day forward the combination has been known as pizza Margherita.
In the 1940s, as immigrants moved from Naples to the United States and replicated their pizzas as an easy meal while working in the factories, the delicious aromas of pizza began to intrigue non-Italians. Regional variations began to emerge, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Italian food is so popular, and so engrained within the culture that the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Agriculture joined forces for the first time to announce that the Italian Government has nominated Italian Cuisine as an element for UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list (although we won't find out if they're successful until 2025).
Where to go for the best pizzas
Naples
As the birthplace of modern pizza, Naples should be top of the list. And we're not the only ones who think so. In 2017, the art of Pizzaiuolo - the culinary practice of preparing and baking dough, including pizza twirling, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. And it's not just the process that has to adhere to strict rules, the ingredients do too. Only certain varieties of tomatoes and pre-approved cheeses can be used. Pizzaiuoli is a living link for the communities - and there are over 3000 that perform in Naples. It's an integral part of social gatherings, fosters intergenerational exchange and apprentices can learn the art in their family homes. We recommend the two local, traditional pizzas - Pizza Marinara and Pizza Margherita - for a truly authentic experience.
Rome
Even if you are (somehow) on the fence about pizza, you'll get swept up by Rome's obsession with pizza. It's almost a religion here. And you don't have to search for the most upmarket restaurant to enjoy the best - true to its roots, some of the best slices you can get in Rome are served on street corners. Of course, if you want a sit-down meal, nowhere else treats this humble staple with such imagination. From pizzas topped with fluffy potatoes and fresh rosemary to fried snacks - like battered cod and rice croquettes - and duck speck. Wherever you dine, Roman pizza is known for its crispier, more rigid crust - which can take the weight of more mouth-watering toppings.
Paris
Outside of Italy, Paris is also considered one of the best cities for pizza. As Italy's neighbours - and skilled bakers in their own right - the French have put their own twist on the pizza, swapping mozzarella with Emmental, Gruyere or Cantal. Their favourite is the Reine - tomato sauce, ham, cheese and mushrooms - which we highly recommend.
Tokyo
Japan is known for sushi, ramen, and sashimi, so you wouldn't expect to find a thriving pizza scene but obsessive pizza makers in Tokyo have given birth to a new style that's all their own. Not quite the New York style, not quite traditional Naples - it's something all its own and worth hunting down if you find yourself in the city. A perfect Tokyo pizza is defined by the locally sourced wood burned in the oven, an extra punch of salt (sure it's not healthy, but it is delicious), a delicate dough that stretches out into a fire-seared crust and just a whisper of umami.
If you love food, check out our foodie holidays - our top picks that combine breathtaking destinations with mouth-watering food.
