Italy – and Naples in particular – is famous for being the birthplace of pizza. Undoubtedly one of the most versatile dishes of Italian cuisine, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Federation of Italian Farmers, Coldiretti, pizza is viewed as a national symbol by 89% of Italians, with upwards of 2.7 billion of these appetising culinary creations consumed in the country every year.
Pizza is often eaten as a snack or quick meal in Italy; it’s not uncommon to see people eating on the go or tucking into a tasty bite whilst standing up at a local pizzeria, as well as sitting down for a more leisurely meal. There are numerous regional variations on offer, with each area offering its own unique style, ingredients, and flavours. Pizza is so much more than just food in Italy; it’s a tradition, a cultural icon, a national treasure, and a way of life – so much so that the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana or True Neapolitan Pizza Association has even granted Neapolitan pizza protected status.
But whilst Italy is widely known as the home of pizza, almost every country across the globe has followed suit, from America to the UK, Norway to Brazil, and India to Australia.
Of the 5 billion plus pizzas sold annually worldwide, around 3 billion[i] are sold in the U.S. Pizza has become almost as synonymous with America as it has with Italy. Its origins can be traced back to the 5 million Italian immigrants who crossed the Atlantic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing their favourite foodstuff with them. Today, it’s almost impossible to imagine America without pizza – the U.S. pizza industry is worth over $46 billion[ii], with around 350 succulent slices devoured every second. Pizza can be found literally everywhere across the states, from school cafeterias to sporting events, movie theatres, family dinners, date nights, state fairs, independent pizzerias, and high-end restaurants, with chains including Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s recognised as household names the world over. It seems that America’s love affair with pizza is nothing short of an obsession.
Here in the UK, we’re also known for our love of a mouth-watering slice or two – in fact, the average Brit will eat upwards of 5,000 slices of pizza during their adult life, with 12% of us getting through three mouth-watering pies every week. Pizza made its gloriously cheesy debut on the London food scene in the 1950s with the influx of Italian immigrants looking for a better way of life. In 1965, Pizza Express opened its doors on Wardour Street in Soho, paving the way for pizza chains in the UK. Today, Domino’s is the UK’s largest chain, with over 1,200 outlets delivering a staggering 106 million freshly hand-crafted, piping-hot pizzas every year to hungry Brits.
If you were asked to pick a country famous for pizza, Norway probably wouldn’t initially spring to mind; however, Norwegians statistically eat more pizza per capita[iii] than any other country in the world – Pizza Grandiosa (Norway’s favourite frozen pizza) has even been referred to as the nation’s ‘modern national dish’!
Pizza, in all its cheesy, gooey glory, is without doubt famous all around the globe, and its popularity shows no sign of waning any time soon – wherever you travel, rest assured you won’t have to go without your favourite slice!
[i] https://zipdo.co/statistics/pizza-industry/
[ii] https://zipdo.co/statistics/pizza-industry/
[iii] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/pizza-consumption-by-country