Two pizza to explore how the ancients might have enjoyed it and how the Columbian exchange gave us the wonderful pizzas we know today. Food is our time machine!
The Tale of Two Pizzas: A Culinary Journey Through Time
The Ancient and the New
Pizza, in some form, has existed for thousands of years, with ancient civilizations baking flatbreads topped with various ingredients. The Romans enjoyed a version of pizza, and archaeological finds in Pompeii suggest that a precursor to modern pizza existed before Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. However, it wasn’t until the Columbian Exchange—the vast transfer of plants, animals, and cultures between the Old and New Worlds—that pizza as we know it today took shape.
In our modern world, we have become quite picky about what goes on our bread plate. Some will come to blows with even the idea of putting red sauce, cheese, ham and pineapple!
Pizza Started off as a Plate1
The concept of using bread as an edible plate has ancient origins. In the 6th century BC, Persian soldiers under Darius the Great baked flatbreads with cheese and dates on their battle shields, serving as both a meal and a utensil. Similarly, ancient Greeks prepared a flatbread called “plakous,” flavored with herbs, onions, cheese, and garlic, which functioned as an edible base for other foods. These practices highlight how early flatbreads served dual purposes, combining convenience with nourishment.
The Columbian Exchange: A Global Flavor Revolution
The Columbian Exchange2 refers to the time period when Columbus “discovered” the Americas and it changed global eating habits forever. While Europe gained tomatoes, potatoes, and cacao, the Americas received wheat, onions, and livestock such as cows and pigs. This blending of ingredients enriched world cuisines, leading to the diversity of flavors we enjoy today.
Pompeii-Style “Pizza”: Pre-Columbian
Before tomatoes arrived in Italy, Mediterranean cuisine relied on a different set of ingredients. The Pompeii-style pizza you see here reflects that historical period, using a wheat-based crust with toppings available in the Roman world. Instead of tomato sauce, it features a cheese blend, olive oil, and a scattering of olives, mushrooms, and cured meats like pancetta. The rich umami flavors of fermented fish sauce (garum) or herbs such as oregano and thyme would have enhanced its depth.
Key Ingredients (Pre-Columbian Era):
- Wheat flour (widely cultivated in Rome)
- Olives (a staple of Mediterranean trade)
- Cheese (made from sheep or goat milk)
- Mushrooms (foraged and commonly used)
- Cured meats (pork and other preserved meats)
Absent from this pizza? Tomatoes, peppers, and other New World ingredients that had yet to reach European shores.
Sun-Dried Tomato: Post-Columbian
With the arrival of the Columbian Exchange, Italian cuisine underwent a transformation. Tomatoes, originally from the Americas, became a defining feature of Neapolitan pizza. Other ingredients—such as chili peppers, corn, and potatoes—also reshaped European dishes.
Our second pizza celebrates these changes. It features sun-dried tomatoes, a deeply flavorful nod to the fruit’s journey from the Americas to Italy, alongside creamy goat cheese, another European staple. This version is enriched with a fresh of basil from my kitchen window.
Key Ingredients (Post-Columbian Era):
- Tomatoes (originating in the Andes and now central to Italian cooking)
- Goat cheese (still a European classic)
- Sun-dried tomatoes (a preservation technique post-Columbian era)
Sun-dried tomato and goat cheese is one of our favorite pizzas. Please follow the link for the recipe for this modern version.
By tasting both these pizzas, you’re not just enjoying delicious food—you’re experiencing history on a plate.
What’s your favorite historical ingredient swap? Let us know in the comments!
Pompeii-Style Pizza Recipe
Email Me the Recipe
Pompeii-Style Pizza
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Ingredients
- 1 Pizza crust, wheat
- 4 ounce Goat Cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ¼ cup Olive, black or Mediterranean
- ½ cup Mushrooms, sliced
- 2 ounce Ham, sliced
Instructions
- 1 Pizza crustForm the pizza dough as you like it. It doesn't have to be perfectly round.
- If your olives have pits, remove them and slice the olives in half. Cut the ham into small pieces.
- 4 ounce Goat Cheese, 1/4 teaspoon Black pepperMix the cheese and pepper together and spread that on the crust.
- 1/4 cup Olive, 1/2 cup Mushrooms, 2 ounce HamTop with the olives, mushrooms and ham.
- Bake in a 500 °F (260 °C) degree oven until the crust has browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pizza rest for about 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_pizza ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_exchange ↩︎
