Pizza has always been America’s favorite food. It’s
been the subject of movies, books, and songs. Pizza is not only a food of
sustenance, but for some has become an obsessive delight. And for many Pizza Fans,
pizza is a sheer and utter passion. Pizza debate brings on an endless thirst
for argument that cannot be easily quenched with just a slice or two.
People discuss their favorite pizzerias with the same emotionally
charged energy as they would discuss politics or their favorite sports team. Pizza
has become so entrenched into the culture that it is easy to forget, pizza was
once simply peasant food. Pizza was for many years, enjoyed by the lower
echelons of society, who could afford little else.
For most of Pizza’s long and romantic history, pizza
was a regional dish. The great pizza in New York stayed in New York. The inside
secrets of the best New York pizza remained in the boroughs and neighborhoods
where it was created. There would be an occasional newspaper or magazine
article. Television and radio reporters would sporadically discuss pizza on
regional and local venues. However, unless you visited New York, these inside
pizza secrets remained mysteries to the rest of the country.
The pizza in New Haven stayed in New Haven. Frank Pepe began making pizza in 1925.
Sally’s founded by Franks, nephew, Salvatore Consiglio, came into being a
decade later. Modern Apizza, also in New Haven developed their own brick oven
masterpieces. Up the road in Derby, Connecticut, Roseland Apizza had created
their own brand of incredible pizza, independently of anyone else.
Most people outside of New Haven were clueless to the
pizza being created there. This was true for most of the residents of the
entire state. Most Connecticut residents had never thought of traveling to New
Haven to eat pizza. And why would they? They had their own great pizza, or so
they thought.
And so it had been across the country. State by state,
region by region. From the East Coast to the Heartland. From the Deep South to
the West Coast. From Chicago to Los Angeles. From Portland to Louisiana. Pizza
made in that region stayed in that region. There was no cross over. No sharing
of pizza ideas.
The only way you discovered regional pizza was by
knowing someone who lived there or by traveling yourself to a particular area
and searching it out. Other than that, pizza was regionalized remained hidden
and undiscovered.
This was true not only of the United States but across
the entire planet. Pizzerias in Italy, all of Europe and other continents hid
their pizza secrets to all but the fortunate residents and random traveler.
However, things were about to change. Enter the great
game changer. The Big Kahuna of Information was about to turn regionalized
pizza into a global point of argument and dialogue.
The floodgates
of the great pizza symposium were opened. The Internet was the single biggest
catalyst to educate, inform and open the debate of how to make pizza and where
to find great pizza. The earth had truly become a global village of pizza. Now
various countries, regions cities and towns were able to showcase their own
marvel of pizza.
Slowly at first, websites were created. Here and there
pizza was discussed. Pizza making secrets were shared. People became aware of
pizza in other areas. Pizza Forums and blogs picked up the banner. And today
you will find hundreds and hundreds of pizza related websites, blogs and
discussion forums. All of these information portals share insights and
knowledge about pizza.
Finally pizza lovers across the globe had a common
voice. Pizza was given a common arena of deliberation and examination.
And we are just
getting started. More pizza blogs and websites are created daily. All with
their own unique pizza perspective, individual recommendations, pizza picks and
pans. The pizza debate continues.
I don’t want to discount the many books on pizza, which
assisted in the process of promoting the joys of pizza. Certainly, Peter
Reinhart’s American Pie, My Search for the Perfect Pizza fueled the fire
of pizza information. Ed Levine created a master piece with A Slice of
Heaven. Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby with their pizza tribute Everybody
Loves Pizza made a huge statement.
However, even the Internet assisted with the promotion
of these books and allowed for more seasoned debate about pizza. Now you did
not have to go out to purchase a book. If you found a pizza book you liked, you
could just order it online and have delivered right to your door.
As much as the Internet did to create knowledge about
countless unknown pizzerias, it became a way to show people how to make pizza.
For the first time pizza fans could learn recipes and techniques from home. They
could discuss and even ask questions. And if that weren’t enough the advent of
video allowed pizza fans to learn pizza making by seeing it demonstrated in
front of their eyes. And if they missed something the first time around, they
could watch it again and again.
Some of the pizza information was free, while others
(myself included) created their own pizza e-books for sale.
There were a number of pizza fans who decided to take
pizza making to the next level by opening their own pizzeria. I have been
shocked and surprised at the number of world class pizzaioli who revealed to
me, they first learned pizza making from the Internet.
This has happened to me on a number of occasions. I
arrived at a pizza restaurant, looking forward to a classic pizza. I had the
pizza, I loved the pizza, and when I asked the owner where they learned to make
pizza, they proudly declared: they learned all about pizza making directly from
the Internet.
And so that’s how the Internet changed Pizza History.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!
