It’s just possible that the native of Napoli in Italy, who first developed what we now know as Pizza, would scarcely recognise the present day adaptation – although I bet if he could come back, he’d wish he’d patented the idea!

The original classic Neapolitan pizza was just a dish of bread dough, spread with mozzarella and tomatoes and baked in a very hot oven, sometimes with basil or oregano. As with so many dishes, pizza started life as real “peasant” food, only to be adapted and added to over the years to feature a multitude of toppings and flavours.. The Roman version was made with onions and oil but no tomatoes. It seems that for centuries people of the Mediterranean region were putting toppings on flatbread, whether pizza base, pita type breads or, as in Genoa, focaccia. The Ligurian pizza closely resembles the Provencal pissaladiera, with onions, black olives and anchovies. The use of pastry rather than dough originated in private homes, regarded as somewhat less rustic!

Nowadays, pizza is international and found everywhere, frequently as a “takeaway” item, doubtless reaching America via the many Italian migrants, until nowadays wherever you find pizzas, it’s hard to know what is traditional and what has been created for the current taste. Still, a basic pizza on the delicious, crisp dough base, luscious ripe tomatoes and bubbling mozzarella with basil or oregano, accompanied by a robust red wine, is a meal fit for any social stratum!

The authentic pizza should be made in a special wood-fired brick oven, heated to 400°C, which the pizza is placed in and removed from with a long-handled wooden paddle. Calzone is another version of pizza, where the filling is encircled by the dough.

Pizza is a great New Zealand family favourite and it’s fun to create your own toppings to suit your family’s favourite flavours. Run a search for “pizza” on the website recipe search to find a rich variety of ideas. Start with Basic Pizza Dough, and run around the world of flavours with the likes of Abu Dhabi Mushroom Pizza, Italian Lamb Pizza, Roasted Potato Pizza with Marinated Artichokes and Watercress Oil, Tandoori Lamb Pizza, or Thai Chicken Pizzas with Coconut Salsa.