The Ancient Roots: Where It All Began
Long before anyone was searching for “pizza near me” in Copenhagen, ancient civilizations were already experimenting with flatbreads and toppings. Flatbreads with toppings were consumed by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. The latter ate a version with herbs and oil, similar to today’s focaccia.
Picture this: Roman soldiers heating flat pieces of bread on their shields over open fires, topping them with olive oil and herbs. These weren’t pizzas as we know them today, but they planted the seeds of what would eventually become our beloved dish.
The word itself has ancient origins too. The word pizza was first documented in 997 CE in Gaeta and successively in different parts of central and southern Italy. That’s over a thousand years ago – long before anyone imagined pizza would become a global phenomenon.
Naples: The True Birthplace of Modern Pizza
While ancient civilizations laid the groundwork, the modern birthplace of pizza is southwestern Italy’s Campania region, home to the city of Naples. This is where pizza as we recognize it today truly began to take shape.
The 18th Century Revolution
Modern pizza evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, between the 16th and mid-18th century. But here’s what made it revolutionary – the addition of tomatoes.
The poor classes of Naples were the first to eat pizza in the 18th century. While flatbread was a known commodity, the tomatoes brought to Europe from Peru by explorers were thought to be poisonous. Can you imagine? The ingredient that defines pizza today was once considered deadly!
It took brave Neapolitan street vendors to discover that tomatoes weren’t just safe – they were delicious. The invention was just a simple flatbread that was considered food for the poor. They could barely afford decent food; instead, they relied on street vendors who sold slices of this flatbread with basic toppings.
The Royal Stamp of Approval
The most famous moment in pizza history came in 1889. According to legend, in 1889, Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples and a pizzaiolo named Raffaele Esposito created a pizza in her honor using ingredients to match the Italian flag—tomato (red), mozzarella (white), and basil (green).
Whether this story is completely accurate or partly legend doesn’t diminish its importance. The Pizza Margherita became the gold standard – simple, elegant, and perfectly balanced. It’s still one of the most popular pizzas worldwide and a staple at our Vesterbro location.
Rome: The Evolution Continues
While Naples gave birth to modern pizza, Rome developed its own distinct style that would eventually find its way to Copenhagen. The Roman approach emerged later, focusing on a completely different philosophy – thin, crispy, and light.
Growing up near Rome, our founder Francesco learned that Roman pizza wasn’t trying to compete with Naples – it was creating something entirely different. The crust makes the biggest distinction: in Rome it is crunchier than in Naples because the dough is baked at a lower temperature (around 500°F).
This Roman style, which we’ve brought to MaMeMi, represents pizza’s continued evolution. It shows how the same basic concept – dough, sauce, toppings – can be interpreted in completely different ways while remaining authentically Italian.
The Global Journey: From Italy to the World
Pizza’s invention didn’t end in Italy. As Italian immigrants spread across the globe, they carried their pizza-making knowledge with them, adapting to local ingredients and tastes while maintaining the essential spirit of the original.
In America, pizza evolved into Chicago deep-dish and New York thin-crust styles. Each represented the invention of something new while honoring the original Italian concept. Today, you can find pizza interpretations in virtually every country, each adding its own cultural twist to the Italian foundation.
The Danish Chapter: Pizza Comes to Copenhagen
Fast-forward to today, and pizza’s invention story continues in cities like Copenhagen. When we opened MaMeMi on Vesterbro, we weren’t just opening another pizzeria – we were adding our own chapter to pizza’s ongoing story.
Our Roman-style approach brings something historically authentic yet perfectly suited to Copenhagen’s dining culture. The thin, crispy base pairs beautifully with natural wine, the lighter style suits modern eating preferences, and the emphasis on quality ingredients resonates with Danish food values.
The Science Behind the Evolution
Understanding when pizza was invented also means understanding why it evolved the way it did. Each development served a purpose:
Naples’ Innovation
The soft, wet Neapolitan style made sense for street food – it could be folded and eaten by hand, perfect for working people who needed quick, filling meals.
Rome’s Refinement
The crispy Roman style developed as pizza moved from street food to sit-down dining. The thinner base made it easier to eat with utensils and pair with wine, transforming pizza from quick sustenance to culinary experience.
Modern Adaptations
Today’s variations – including our vegan and gluten-free options at MaMeMi – represent pizza’s continued evolution. We’re still inventing pizza, adapting it to meet contemporary dietary needs while respecting traditional techniques.
The Ingredients Tell the Story
Each ingredient in pizza has its own invention timeline:
Tomatoes: The 16th Century Game-Changer
Brought from the Americas, tomatoes weren’t widely accepted in European cuisine until the 18th century. Their addition to flatbread marked the true beginning of modern pizza.
Mozzarella: The Perfect Match
Originally made from water buffalo milk in the Campania region, mozzarella became pizza’s ideal cheese because of how beautifully it melted and its mild flavor that didn’t overpower the tomatoes.
The Dough Evolution
From ancient flatbreads to today’s carefully fermented bases (like our 48-hour process at MaMeMi), pizza dough has been constantly refined. Each improvement in technique represents another small invention in pizza’s ongoing story.
Pizza’s Future: Still Being Invented
Here’s the beautiful thing about pizza’s invention story – it’s not finished. Every time a pizzaiolo experiments with a new topping combination, perfects a fermentation technique, or adapts the recipe for different dietary needs, they’re continuing the invention process.
At our Vesterbro location, we see this constantly. Our seasonal menu changes mean we’re always creating new combinations while respecting traditional techniques. Our natural wine pairings represent modern innovation built on ancient foundations.
The Real Answer: Pizza Is Always Being Invented
So when was pizza invented? The simple answer is that it’s been invented continuously for over a thousand years. The word pizza was first documented in 997 CE, modern pizza emerged in 18th-century Naples, the Margherita was created in 1889, Roman style developed later, and the process continues today.
Every time you visit a pizzeria – whether it’s a traditional Neapolitan place or our Roman-style restaurant near Enghave Plads – you’re participating in pizza’s ongoing invention story. You’re tasting centuries of culinary evolution while helping to shape its future.
The next time someone asks when pizza was invented, you can tell them it’s a story that began over a thousand years ago and is still being written today, in pizzerias from Naples to Rome to Copenhagen, wherever passionate people are perfecting the beautiful combination of dough, sauce, and dreams.
Experience pizza’s living history at MaMeMi on Vesterbro, where ancient Roman techniques meet modern Copenhagen dining. Every bite connects you to centuries of culinary evolution.
