But just because there’s a proliferation of pizzas doesn’t mean they’re good. Technically, the ingredients no longer present much of a challenge - for example, manufacturers long ago discovered that a thin layer of cornstarch between crust and sauce prevents sogginess - and the advent of the microwave oven brought the product’s accessibility to new heights. Shelf Life has always wondered why frozen pizza isn’t, on the whole, better than it is. It has won hearts and minds wherever it flourishes, except, arguably, in your supermarket freezer. Fast-forward a century and half and pizza is welcomed by just about everyone in every nation, all the time, Pope and pauper, in countless variations. No one with a choice would eat something that was made and sold by the hands of the Neapolitan underclass. As John Dickie notes in his delectable book Delizia! The Epic History of Italians and Their Food, early-era pizza was cheap and suspect, the staple of the wretched. Not that you’d want to open the door: At that time, Naples was the cholera capital of Europe.

In 1866, the Florentine writer Carlo Collodi (author of Pinocchio), described Naples’ contribution to world cuisine as “a patchwork of greasy filth that harmonizes perfectly with the appearance of the person selling it.” Shelf Life has two thoughts: Fortunately, pizza pie survived its poor early reviews and it sounds like Signore Collodi experienced the 19th-century equivalent of dealing with the pizza delivery guy at a keg party. Activate your Online Access Now Article contentĮasy there, Carlo. If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is included in your subscription. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt.

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