Pizza
What better way to start if not with the well known and loved pizza ?
Pizza is a yeasted flatbread generally topped with tomato sauce and cheese and baked in an oven . It is commonly topped with a selection of meats , vegetables and condiments . The term was first recorded in the 10th century , in a Latin manuscript from Gaeta in Central Italy . The modern pizza was invented in Naples , Italy , and the dish and its variants have since become popular and common in many areas of the world .
In 2009 , upon Italy ' s request , Neapolitan pizza was safeguarded in the European Union as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed dish . The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana ( the True Neapolitan Pizza Association ) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984 with headquarters in Naples . It promotes and protects the " true Neapolitan pizza ".
Pizza is sold fresh or frozen , either whole or in portions , and is a common fast food item in Europe and North America . Various types of ovens are used to cook them and many varieties exist . Several similar dishes are prepared from ingredients commonly used in pizza preparation , such as calzone and stromboli .