It's fairly well established that the first pizza as we know it today was created by a man named Esposito from Naples, Italy. Esposito's creation was designed to honor the visit of Queen Margherita to Naples in 1889, and he decorated it with the colors of the Italian flag. The most traditional pie is the pizza Napolitano, or Neapolitan pizza. Common varieties of Neapolitan pizza include marinara, made with tomato, olive oil, oregano, and garlic, and margherita, made with tomato, olive oil, fresh basil leaves, and mozzarella cheese.

Italian immigrants brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria was opened in America in 1905. It remained popular almost exclusively among immigrants until the end of World War II, when American soldiers returned to their home soil and brought back a love of the pizza they had discovered overseas. With that, the pizza boom in America began.

New York was home to the first pizza parlor in the United States, opened in Little Italy in 1905 by Lombardi. Chicago is also home to a major variety of pizza. The Chicago-style pizza is deep dish, meaning it is made in a pan with the crust formed up the sides, or even with two crusts and sauce between, a so-called "stuffed". The Midwest also plays host to the St. Louis style pizza.

This thin-crust delicacy is made using local cheese instead of mozzarella, and is very crispy. Heavily seasoned with oregano and other spices, with a slightly sweet sauce, it is difficult to fold because of the crust and is often cut into squares, instead of served in slices. A Hawaiian pizza is an American invention that has nothing to do with Hawaii save that one of the main ingredients is pineapple. The pineapple is put atop the pizza, along with bacon, giving a rather sweet taste very different from pizzas closer to the Italian original. A number of esoteric pizzas are common on the West coast, and "gourmet" pizza is often referred to as "California-style" pizza. This is an example of fusion cuisine. Ingredients of Californian pizza:

Dough

1 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees)

2 packages yeast

3 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons cornmeal

Pesto

1 cup olive oil

2 cups fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Topping

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 sweet red pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

1 green peppers, seeded and sliced into strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon water

1/2 pound garlic and fennel sausage or sweet Italian sausage

3 ounces goat cheese

10 ounces Mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Preparation: Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Make a "well" in the center, pour in yeast solution and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Blend in the flour using a fork, working towards the outside of the well. As dough becomes stiff, incorporate remaining flour by hand. Gather into a ball and knead eight to ten minutes on a floured board. Place in an oil-coated bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, approximately two hours.

Prepare pesto sauce using a blender or food processor. Combine all ingredients except cheese. Process but do not create a puree. Stir in cheese.

Prepare toppings: Saute onions and peppers in olive oil and water in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until peppers are soft. Drain and set aside. Brown sausage, breaking into pieces as it cooks. Drain off excess fat. Chop coarsely.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread remaining tablespoon of olive oil evenly over a 12 inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Punch down pizza dough, flatten lightly with a rolling pin, turn and flatten with fingers. Place dough in pan and spread to edges with fingertips. Bake five minutes. Spread pesto sauce over dough. Crumble goat cheese evenly over pesto. Add onions and peppers, sausage, and cheeses. Bake 10 minutes or until crust is slightly brown and cheese is bubbly.