by Jo Ann Taylor - Co-founder of Walking Connection and iConquer Adventures
...but in Italy it is the pomodoro Which makes me think of pizza. Some people eat pizza once a week a month or maybe a day? I LOVE pizza. I also really miss pizza. Sorry Arizona, but since residing here we haven't found one that quite lives up to my New York memories of getting a slice around the corner at Sal's. And yes I have had pizza for breakfast. Which brings me back to the tomato where it all started... On our last trip to Italy, our exuberant guide Sara wisely expressed that to get the very best pizza make sure that it is made by a Neapolitan PIZZAIOLO (the pizza maker).
In the early 1500's, tomatoes were introduced from the New World to Europe. This strange fruit (or vegetable according to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1893) was met with disdain and rumored to be poisonous. In Naples, the poor only had olive oil, flour cheese, herbs and lard to sustain their hunger. Perhaps out of this hunger they were driven with bravery to take the demonized pomodoro and create the first tomato sauce pizza. It didn't take long for it to become a hit.
So popular that when the King and Queen of Italy were vacationing in Naples they requested a pizzaiola to come at once. Not only was the Margherita pizza born (named after the Queen herself) but perhaps even the first pizza delivery?
So whether you say "toe-may-toe" or "toe-mah-toe"
when in Naples...
we'll say pomodoro and taste test ourselves
and by the way-- we invite you to join us!
Come Walk With Us!
Join us for a unique Italian adventure.
info@walkingconnection.com for details