We all know by now that pizza is largely a creation credited to the Italians, at least the modern pizza that we know and love today.  What few of us have stopped to consider is how a food makes its way into the hearts and lives of people across the globe. From Naples to America, to Melbourne and beyond, pizza is loved in various forms all over the world.  But how did it make its way across the oceans?

From Italy, With Love

The first pizza migration occurred as Italians began to immigrate, primarily to the United States in search of the “good life” and the American dream.  Lovers of their food and their home country, Italians took their favorite recipes and traditions, and pizza was one of them.  That in itself is not all that surprising, especially considering that pizza was considered a cheap and accessible food for peasants, and many went to America with little funding.

Italians began setting up shop and selling pizzas in the sections where they lived in the states around 1900, in corner pizza stands and small cafes.  These were located primarily in the inner cities where the immigrant populations were high, and most notably in New York and Chicago in the U.S.

Pizza, Out Of The Ashes

Although pizza was available in the U.S. and in some other countries (like Spain, France, and England) from the early 1900’s on, it was not all that popular a dish.  It was largely a food that was enjoyed culturally among the Italians.  It was not until the outbreak of World War II that pizza began to catch on as the truly international treat that it is today.

Soldiers serving and occupying Italy came to know and love pizza, and took that love home with them when they returned to their various countries.  Pizza suddenly became an in-demand food, especially in the U.S., and the love spread rather quickly around the world as word and taste caught on.  It seems there must be some truth to the term “The Fortunes of War” after all.

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009