Pizza is a yeasted flatbread generally topped with tomato sauce and cheese
and baked in an oven. It is commonly topped with a selection of meats,
vegetables and condiments. The term was first recorded in the 10th
century, in a Latin manuscript from Gaeta in Central Italy. The modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish and its variants have since become popular and common in many areas of the world.
In 2009, upon Italy's request, Neapolitan pizza was safeguarded in the European Union as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed dish.
The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (the True Neapolitan Pizza
Association) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 with
headquarters in Naples. It promotes and protects the "true Neapolitan
pizza".
Pizza is sold fresh or frozen, either whole or in portions, and is a common fast food item in Europe and North America.
Various types of ovens are used to cook them and many varieties exist.
Several similar dishes are prepared from ingredients commonly used in
pizza preparation, such as calzone and stromboli.