Preview: The surprising history of pizza

Preview: The surprising history of pizza

From HistoryExtra podcast by Immediate

April 24, 2026 · 14 min

About this episode

The episode explores the surprising history and origins of pizza, featuring insights from food historian Annie Gray.

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

People in this episode

Host: Emily Briffett

Guest: Annie Gray

Topics covered

  • history of pizza
  • food history
  • cultural icons
  • migration
  • innovation
  • controversial toppings

Keywords

  • pizza
  • food history
  • cultural icon
  • pineapple topping
  • migration
  • innovation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: HistoryExtra podcast, History's Greatest Dishes, podcastchoices.com

More episodes of HistoryExtra podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the HistoryExtra podcast podcast page.