It was the brilliant minds of the ancient Greeks that laid the foundations for many things that still impact us today. From philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, architecture and medicine to literature, theatre and politics, the Greeks developed one of the most advanced civilisations of the ancient world, which included the alphabet and several engineering inventions that are still utilised today.

And when it comes to food, Greek gastronomy is one of the world’s healthiest and most well-rounded classic cuisines. Even British chef Gordon Ramsay agrees, which led to a heated Mediterranean food debate after he told Italian chef Gino D’Acampo that Greek food is better than Italian food during an episode of ITV’s Gordon, Gino & Fred Go Greek.

Although I do not want to jump into the Greece vs Italy debate, even though the ancient Romans were well known for copying many elements of Greek culture, we have many similarities such as climate, great coastal destinations, mythology, cultures and sights to visit, however it the unique cuisines that set the two apart. Or so I thought.

In my quest to find out the origins of pizza, I discovered that while numerous stories and articles have been published about Italy’s greatest food invention, historical facts point to the ancient Greeks as the founders of this staple Italian dish.

In fact, Italians are keen to point out that the red, green and white colours of the Margherita pizza are reflected in their flag, cementing the food’s place as part of the country’s identity.

When we hear the word pizza, we immediately think of the delicious flat bread that comes out of a wood-burning oven, topped with melted cheese and other delectable ingredients.

Yet, the idea of a flat piece of dough covered with herbs and cheese appears to have originated in ancient Greece, namely Naples, which was founded as a Greek city around the 8th century BC called Cumae.

As the city grew in importance, it was called Neapolis, or ‘new city,’ and it became one of the strongest colonies and an important cultural centre for ancient Greece. Even after being taken over by the Romans, who exploited it as a holiday retreat, the city maintained its Greek culture.

According to British historian Edward Gibbon, Ancient Neapolis retained Grecian colonial language and practices, drawing poets such as Virgil who longed to escape the clamour, smoke, and “laborious opulence of Rome.”

Historical evidence shows that the ancient Greeks ate plakous, a flatbread covered with olive oil, herbs, onion, cheese and garlic, which was baked in a mud oven.

The Italians, on the other hand, claim that Raffaele Esposito, a baker from Naples, invented the first pizza that included both cheese and tomato sauce. Although they both agree that flatbreads with various toppings were available at street vendors and eaten by Greeks before Esposito’s time, legend has it that the Naples baker was invited to make a grand pizza for Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita during their visit to Naples in 1889.

The pizza, which was made with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil, is now known as a Margherita pizza.

While his culinary souvenir may have helped pave the way for modern-day pizza, it was unlikely to have been the sole influence for the pizza enjoyed today.

According to sources, since tomatoes were cheap, they were largely used by impoverished people to add to their yeast-based flatbread, and thus the contemporary pizza was established to feed the poor. As word spread, tourists went to the poor regions of Naples to try various versions of the dish that had emerged there.

Whether or not the ancient Greeks influenced Italian pizza, Greek cooking has also been influenced by other cultures since 350BC, when Alexander the Great extended the Greek empire’s reach from Europe to India, resulting in certain northern and eastern influences being absorbed into Greek cuisine.

When Emperor Constantine founded the Byzantine Empire, which was conquered by the Turks in 1453 and remained a part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years, Greek dishes had to be known by Turkish names, which are still used for many Greek classics today.

Although culinary influences arrived with each succeeding invasion and settlement, the origins of pizza are unquestionably attributed to another of ancient Greece’s bountiful gifts bequeathed to the Italians, who then added their own finishing touches and introduced it to the world.