this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2023
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Pompeii archaeologists discover 'pizza' painting (www.bbc.com)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Woland@lemm.ee to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml
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Archaeologists in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii have uncovered a painting which depicts what might be the precursor to the Italian pizza.

The flatbread depicted in the 2,000-year-old fresco "may be a distant ancestor of the modern dish", Italy's culture ministry said.

But it lacks the classic ingredients to technically be considered a pizza.

The fresco was found in the hall of a house next to a bakery during recent digs at the site in southern Italy.

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[–] i_love_FFT@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 year ago (6 children)

But it lacks the classic ingredients to technically be considered a pizza.

What are the required ingredients? Can they be sure the ingredients are not hidden underneath the ones on top?

[–] BrownPolarBear 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They did a taste test, and noticed it had fresco cheese instead of mozzarella

[–] slicktor@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 year ago

I'll upvote this but I don't like it.

[–] AgreeableLandscape@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

90% sure it's tomatoes. They are not native to Europe and were only introduced in the colonial era.

[–] CmdrShepard@lemmy.one 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I get pizza without tomatoes all the time. Chicken bacon ranch pizza contains zero tomatoes. I need to talk to this uninformed pizza gatekeeper.

[–] burningmatches@feddit.uk 3 points 1 year ago

Not sure the Italians consider a chicken bacon ranch pizza to be a pizza.

[–] pancakes@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

This brings up a good point. BBQ chicken pizza, donair pizza, and pesto pizza all don't have tomatoes.

[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Required? I'd go with water, flour, yeast, salt, olive oil.

After that it becomes difficult as a pizza bianca with nothing else but olive oil would be strange, you generally get at least garlic and some cheese, but that's the minimal set of ingredients shared by every pizza.

OTOH, cheese might actually be a requirement, can't think of a cheese-free pizza right now. Oh this is going to piss of the vegans.

[–] Akasazh@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

may have been eaten with fruits such as pomegranates or dates, or dressed with spices and a type of pesto sauce

[–] knatsch@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

i would say tomato and cheese and think i see both

[–] lightsecond@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Tomatoes were only introduced to Italy in the 1500s (from the Americas) so i highly doubt they had tomatoes in Pompeii at that time. :)

[–] knatsch@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah you're right, i'm dumb. Still think the red thing on the left looks like a tomato wonder what that actually is.

[–] japps13@lemmy.physfluids.fr 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I don’t know which ingredients are required but I don’t think they had tomatoes at that time. Wasn’t they discovered in the new world?

[–] electrorocket@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Correct. They were over 400 years from having tomato sauce on pizza. They did have pesto, as the article mentioned.

[–] rostriano@vlemmy.net 2 points 1 year ago

Make that over 1400 years.