Pizza is the world’s most popular fast food. People have been eating pizza in one form or another for centuries.   Originally pieces of flatbread topped with savoury topping made a tasty meal for those who could not afford plates.

Pizza is mentioned as early as 29 BCE in Virgil’s Aeneid.  The story goes that Aeneas and his crew sat beneath a tree and laid out thin wheaten cakes as platters for their meal.  They covered them with mushrooms and herbs they scavenged from the woods.  They ate everything including the crust at which point Aeneas son proclaimed “Look! We’ve even eaten out plates!”.

Neapolitan

Originally a staple of the poorest residents, pizza achieved prominence when Queen Margherita declared them her favourite.  The Margherita pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil sets the standard for pizzas today.  

Today pizza is a worldwide phenomenon.  Here are some of the world’s favourites.

Canotto

This is a take-off on the Neapolitan staple.  The name refers to the puffy crust, and literally means “inflatable dinghy”.  It has a large inflated crust filled with air.

As with some other types of pizzas, there is debate among pizza purists, that Canotto is not Neopolitan. Fans of the dish will often refer to it as contemporary Neopolitan pizza.

If you’re travelling, you can find some of the best canotto pizza in Phuket, Thailand.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

This is a hearty pizza with a thick buttery crust. These pizzas don’t look like what you are used to.  They are baked in a deep pan, the cheese is added directly to the crust, followed by toppings, and then the sauce is put on top.

You have to eat it with a fork unless you are willing to make a mess from the thick layers of cheese and sauce.

New York Style Pizza

New York pizzas are thin and foldable.  Topped with a tangy sauce and mozzarella cheese, these are served everywhere in NYC.  It’s a staple of the New York City food scene.  Grabbing a slice on the go is s quintessential part of the fast-paced scene in NYC.  It is loved by locals and tourists alike.  It’s is must-do, if you are ever in the city that never sleeps.

You can find aficionados swear that they can live on pizzas alone, that it’s that health.

Hawaiian Pizza

This is an unconventional pizzas that has a delightful combination of sweet and savoury flavours.  This pizza features a thin crust, topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, ham, and pineapple chunks.

The combination of sweet pineapple with gooey cheese and tomato sauce makes it a favourite of many worldwide.  

Anytime it’s served, you are going to find someone saying it’s not real pizzas countered by its fans who claim it’s one of the best.

Unfortunately, this delightful dish is facing challenges from proposed regulation of wood burning ovens in New York City and other places.

While the debate rages, you can be sure that pizzas will continue to be eaten and enjoyed by millions around the world.