What Makes it Unique?

Discovering the secrets of the pizza.

The humble pizza could well be labelled the planet’s favourite food. And with origins stretching back more than 3,000 years, it has clearly stood the test of time. Its beauty lies in its simplicity, versatility and, to a degree, its affordability. But how did it come about? 

That can be the subject of some debate. What is known is that the ancient civilizations bordering the Mediterranean offered a wide range of examples of foods that could be the beginnings of the pizza. All had various flat buns, pies or the like based on dough made of cereal, water and seasonings. From Egypt to Greece, from Rome to Pompeii, we find dishes that resemble pizza in their ingredients, composition and cooking methods. At the height of the Persian Empire, it’s said that the soldiers of Darius the Great, accustomed to lengthy marches, baked a kind of bread flat upon their shields and then covered it with cheese and dates. And Marcus Porcius Cato, also known as Cato the Elder, described in the first history of Rome, “A flat round dough dressed with olive oil, herbs and honey baked on stones.” 

However, it wasn’t until the 16th century that pizza as we know it today started to appear. And that began with the arrival of tomato plants to Europe from Peru. At first they were thought to be poisonous, but later the poorer people of Naples added the tomatoes to their yeast dough. All of Italy proclaimed the Neapolitan pies to be the best. By the 17th century, visitors would flock to the poorer sections of Naples to taste the peasant dish made by men called ‘pizzaioli’. In 1889, Umberto I, King of Italy, and his wife, Queen Margherita, in Naples on holiday, called the most popular pizzaioli to their palace to taste his specialities. He prepared three kinds of pizza: one with pork fat, cheese and basil; one with garlic, olive oil and tomatoes; and another with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes (the colours of the Italian flag). The Queen liked the last kind of pizza so much that he dedicated his speciality to her, and called it Pizza Margherita. This set the standard by which today’s pizza evolved, as well as firmly establishing Naples as the pizza capital of the world. As Italians emigrated all over the planet, particularly to the United States, new pizzerias started opening up. Soldiers returning from Italy after the Second World War also began spreading the word. It was soon to become universal. 

There are now countless styles, varieties and topping combinations. Popular styles include: traditional crust pizza; deep dish pizza; New York style; Chicago; Calzone; bagel pizza and pizza bread. And, of course, fresh and frozen pizzas from retail stores also come in as many varieties. They are undoubtedly the single biggest selling frozen product in the world. In Europe, surprisingly, Norwegians consume more frozen pizza per capita than anyone else. 

In terms of toppings, regional tastes, indigenous foods and cultural preferences vary greatly. In the States, pepperoni tops the list, whilst in Venezuela, anchovies are a firm favourite. Americans and the British always rate anchovies last; Brits preferring chicken. In India, pickled ginger and paneer (a form of cottage cheese that looks like tofu) are popular, whilst the Japanese favour eel and squid. Russians often order a mockba, which is a combination of sardines, tuna, mackerel, salmon and onions. And in Europe as a whole, tuna is fast becoming the number-one choice. Australians enjoy shrimp and pineapple and in Saudi Arabia all meat toppings must be 100% beef as pork products are not consumed there. 

So can you get a pizza on Samui? Of course, there are a multitude of places serving it. But rather than go to a high street chain, perhaps it would be better to go to one of the island's best Italian restaurants such as Prego at Amari Koh Samui, Marzano Pizzeria at Malibu Koh Samui Resort, Olivio at Baan Haad Ngam Resort or Dr Frogs, where you can enjoy authentic pizzas as if you were in Italy itself.