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An eatery is offering an ancient Rome-inspired pizza — and its flavor profile might be different from what today’s patrons are accustomed to.
Neverland Pizzeria, situated in Budapest, Hungary, is currently offering a limited-run pizza showcasing components that would have been accessible in ancient Rome.
This entails excluding tomatoes — a crop from the New World — as well as mozzarella cheese.
The pizza incorporates epityrum, an olive-based spread, and garum, a fermented fish-based sauce that was favored in ancient Rome.
Its foundation consists of antique grains, like einkorn and spelt, and the dough has fermented spinach juice to assist in its rising.
A pizzeria is showcasing a limited-time pizza influenced by ingredients used in ancient Rome, omitting tomatoes and mozzarella. (Bela Szandelszky/AP Photo; DeAgostini/Getty Images)
The pizza is completed with preserved duck leg, toasted pine nuts, ricotta cheese, and a reduction of grapes.
Josep Zara, the originator of Neverland Pizzeria, has stated that the inspiration came from a fresco unearthed in Pompeii during 2023, which appeared to depict a focaccia-style flatbread complemented with spices, pomegranate seeds, and dates.
“We were required to leave out all components with origins in the Americas.”
“We gathered to conceptualize what we could create using only these components, and without the use of items like tomatoes and mozzarella,” Zara shared with The Associated Press.
“We were required to leave out all components with origins in the Americas.”
Gergely Bárdossy, the head chef, explained that the restricted list of components pushed the team to depend more on trial and error.
“The absence of facilities such as a water distribution system during Roman times presented challenges, given that water makes up over 80% of the pizza dough,” Bárdossy told the AP.
According to the head chef, the kitchen was forced to rely heavily on experimentation due to the limited ingredient selection. (Bela Szandelszky/AP Photo)
“We needed to devise a solution that could have been implemented prior to the advent of running water.”
Lisa Roberts, a culinary archaeologist from New York specializing in Mediterranean cuisine, stated that the offering closely resembles a small flatbread crafted from wheat, honey, and olive oil to today’s consumers.
“The toppings might encompass a cheese pesto, prepared with olive oil and herbs, alongside locally sourced fruits, which include pomegranate seeds, dates, pears, and plums,” she conveyed to Fox News Digital.
“If presented with this pizza in cities like New York or L.A. today, I would assume it was a modern chef’s fresh interpretation of pizza — potentially a breakfast or brunch variation.”
According to Neverland Pizzeria’s founder, the concept for the pizza was inspired by a fresco discovered in Pompeii in 2023, as shown here. (Alamy)
Roberts noted that Romans were known for using garum “on nearly everything” and equated the fermented seasoning to fish sauce or miso.
“Ancient texts celebrated it both as a culinary element and a therapeutic agent,” she stated.
“In current times, Italy and Spain produce versions using anchovies. For those in America, Thai fish sauce would most closely mirror its flavor profile, though it tends to be less salty.”
Roberts pointed out that this blend of salty, savory, and sweet tastes already exists in American food culture, should this mixture seem novel.
“Since the majority desire more traditional pizza, it is not appropriate for daily consumption.”
She mentioned popular choices such as prosciutto-wrapped melon, pineapple-topped pizza, and maple-glazed bacon as examples.
“I prepare a salad dressing that includes miso, honey, olive oil, and lemon, which tastes amazing when drizzled over vanilla ice cream,” she shared.
Roberts suggested that the offering should be perceived as a “far removed predecessor” to pizza, which came into being over a millennium afterward.
“This dish is part of a practice called xenia, where food representations were given as tokens of hospitality in ancient times,” she elaborated.
“We needed to devise a solution that could have been implemented prior to the advent of running water,” said the pizzeria’s head chef, Gergely Bárdossy, shown above left. Above right, another chef works his magic in the restaurant. (Bela Szandelszky/AP Photo)
“In Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas and his crew employ flat wheat cakes as ‘tables’ that can be eaten, upon which they put fruits and other edibles. They consume the bread itself post-meal, demonstrating that bread had the capacity to be both a plate and a portion of the meal.”
In terms of the pizza’s appeal, Bárdossy commented that it caters to a “relatively specialized clientele.”
“Since the majority desire more traditional pizza, it is not appropriate for daily consumption,” he communicated to the AP.
“It’s reserved for special occasions.”
The Associated Press provided the reporting.