Pizza without tomato sauce sounds illegal. Imagine no mozzarella? Borderline offensive, isn’t it? Yet in Budapest, one pizzeria is proving that pizza existed long before Naples made it iconic. At Neverland Pizzeria, Budapest, diners can order a limited-edition pizza that’s inspired by what people in ancient Rome may have eaten nearly 2,000 years ago. It’s basically time travel on a plate!
Budapest Pizzeria Recreates Ancient Roman Pizza With 2,000-Year-Old Ingredients
As per the report by Gulf Today, the idea began with a simple question. What did people eat before basic ingredients like tomatoes, mozzarella, or even the word “pizza” existed?
Romans did not eat pizza as we know it today. Tomatoes arrived in Europe centuries later from the Americas, and Mozzarella came even later. Some food historians argue that mozzarella’s discovery directly led to pizza’s birth in 18th-century Naples.
But Romans did eat oven-baked flatbreads. But they topped with herbs, oils, local cheeses, and sauces. These were sold in ancient snack bars called thermopolia. You can picture them as Rome’s original fast food counters.
A Pompeii Fresco Sparked The Idea And Ancient Roman Pizza Was Born!
In 2023, archaeologists uncovered a fresco in Pompeii showing a focaccia-like flatbread topped with pomegranate seeds, dates, spices, and a pesto-style spread. They immediately went viral.
For Neverland founder Josep Zara, it flipped a switch. All questions like “What did this food taste like? Could it work today? And could it still feel like pizza?” started arising in his mind as quoted in Gulf Today.
Deep Research Before Recipes
Zara did not guess but did his complete R&D.
He consulted a historian in Germany and studied De re coquinaria, a Roman-era cookbook believed to date back to the 5th century. From there, he built a list of ingredients that existed during the Roman Empire. Nothing from the Americas made the cut. That list landed on the desk of head chef Gergely Bárdossy, who quickly realised this would not be easy but was possible.
Making Dough Without Running Water
Pizza dough is made by incorporating 80% water. Ancient Rome did not have taps, and that became the biggest challenge.
Fermented spinach juice was the solution the chefs came up with. It helped the dough rise while staying historically accurate. Ancient grains like einkorn and spelt formed the base, producing a denser crust than modern pizza but one that holds its shape and flavour.
After months of trial, error, and abandoned ideas, the dough finally bloomed to perfection.
Also Read: CT Review: I Tried Black Pizza For The First Time At Mumbai’s Siciliana & It Was Sinfully Addictive!
What’s On The Ancient Roman Pizza?
The toppings lean heavily into Roman aristocratic cuisine. Expect epityrum, an olive paste. Garum, a fermented fish sauce loved by the Romans, confit duck leg, toasted pine nuts and ricotta. Also, don’t forget the grape reduction instead of sugar or honey.
It does sound wild, but tastes layered, salty, rich, and surprisingly familiar.
Neverland’s Roman pizza shows that food culture evolves, but its roots stay visible. Long before delivery apps and stuffed crusts, people gathered around flatbreads topped with whatever they could lay their hands on. And that’s how magic happened!
Cover Image Courtesy: Neverland Pizzeria/Instagram
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