What did Italians eat before tomatoes arrived?

What did Italians eat before tomatoes arrived?

pasta
Before tomatoes, the Italian diet was largely similar to the diet throughout the rest of the Mediterranean. Bread, pasta, olives, and beans were all staples, and Italians also made a variety of different types of polenta.

Was there pizza before tomatoes?

Pizza evolved into a type of bread and tomato dish, often served with cheese. However, until the late 19th or early 20th century, the dish was sweet, not savory, and earlier versions which were savory more resembled the flat breads now known as schiacciata.

Did Columbus bring tomatoes to Italy?

Introduction of the Tomato to Europe. The introduction of the tomato to Europe followed after the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Was Pizza really invented in Italy?

Pizza was first invented in Naples, Italy as a fast, affordable, tasty meal for working-class Neapolitans on the go. While we all know and love these slices of today, pizza actually didn’t gain mass appeal until the 1940s, when immigrating Italians brought their classic slices to the United States.

How did the tomato arrive in Italy?

The political tomato Brought to Europe by the Spanish when they colonized the Americas — it’s an Aztec plant, as we can tell by its original name, “tomatl” — by the mid-1500s, it had made its way to Italy. Either way, by 1548, the tomato was to be found in Cosimo’s botanical gardens in Pisa.

What is the history of pizza?

Pizza as well, or at least its distant cousin also existed before the introduction of the tomato. Flatbreads topped with spreads or cheeses and topped with vegetables or meat date back thousands of years, and satiated many hungry Italians before the invention of the Margherita pizza in the 18th or 19th century.

How did Tomatoes become so popular in Italian cuisine?

In any case, the tomato quickly became a permanent fixture in Italian cuisine, with farmers selectively breeding the plant into the larger, red varietals we know and love today.

How were pizza doughs made before Tomatoes?

It was prepared in much the same way it is now — flour formed into a dough, dried, then boiled or baked — and even dressed with sauces and accompaniments that remain popular to this day, like oil and garlic, ricotta, or a paste of fresh herbs. Pizza as well, or at least its distant cousin also existed before the introduction of the tomato.

What food did the ancient Italians eat?

Bread, pasta, olives, and beans were all staples, and Italians also made a variety of different types of polenta. The diet would have varied depending on region, as well: fish featured heavily near the coast, while inland communities would rely more on pork and wild game.