Preview: The surprising history of pizza

HistoryExtra podcast

HistoryExtra

History

4.3 • 4.7K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2026

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It's now among the world's most popular foods – but what do we know about the origins of pizza? Today on the HistoryExtra podcast, we're bringing you a slice of our new series, History's Greatest Dishes, that serves up a feast of facts about some of the past's most remarkable delicacies. Food historian Annie Gray tells Emily Briffett about its genesis as humble street treat, the currents of migration and innovation that transformed it into a cultural icon, and truth behind that most controversial of pizza toppings: pineapple. To listen on, search for History's Greatest Dishes or find the full episodes and follow the feed here: https://play.megaphone.fm/pw_5oanmtdswsp80w0rl0q Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:52.2	Welcome to the History Extra podcast.
0:56.1	Today we're serving up a taster of our brand new series,
1:01.3	History's Greatest Dishes, our fresh offering that delves into the extraordinary stories behind some of the past's most remarkable delicacies. In this instalment, food historian Annie Gray
1:08.0	tells Emily Briffitt about the rise of pizza from humble Italian street food
1:13.2	to global fast food favourite. What do we know about its origins? Why has it proven so popular?
1:20.3	And what is the deal with pineapple on pizza? Tell me, Emily, what do you think of pineapple on pizza?
1:29.4	Well, it's a particularly contentious one, but I suppose this is the topic of today, isn't it? In this episode of history's
1:36.0	greatest dishes, I'm your host, Emily Griffith, and I'm joined today by Dr. Annie Gray.
1:44.1	Pizza. Where do we even start? I mean, I'm curious to to Annie Gray.
1:44.6	Pizza.
	...

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