pizza is a dish of Italian origin consisting of
a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with
tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as anchovies,
mushrooms, onions, olives, vegetables, meat, ham, etc.), which is then
baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fired oven.
The
term pizza was first recorded in the 10th
century in a Latin manuscript from the Southern Italian town of Gaeta in
Lazio, on the border with Campania. Modern pizza
was invented in Naples, and the dish and its variants have since become
popular in many countries. It has become one of the most popular foods in
the world and a common fast food item in Europe, North America and
Australasia; available at pizzerias (restaurants specializing in pizza),
restaurants offering Mediterranean cuisine, via
pizza
delivery, and as street food. Various food companies sell ready-baked
pizzas, which may be frozen, in grocery stores, to be reheated in a home
oven.
A great number of
pizza varieties exist, defined by the choice of
toppings and sometimes also crust. There are also several styles of
pizza, defined by their preparation method.