Exotic Fruit to Essential Topping: Pizza and tomatoes are inseparable today, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, there was a time when the idea of putting tomatoes on pizza—or eating them at all—was unthinkable. The story of how tomatoes became the defining ingredient of modern pizza is a fascinating journey through history, trade, and culinary innovation.

Before tomatoes became part of the picture, pizza existed in various forms for centuries. Flatbreads topped with herbs, cheese, and other ingredients were common in ancient cultures. In ancient Greece, people ate flatbreads with olive oil, garlic, and local seasonings, a dish that somewhat resembled today’s focaccia. The Romans had a similar dish called panis focacius, these early pizzas lacked one key ingredient: tomatoes. That’s because tomatoes didn’t exist in Europe until the 16th century.

Tomatoes are native to South America and were first domesticated in Mexico. Spanish explorers, including Hernán Cortés, brought them to Europe in the early 1500s. At first, Europeans believed tomatoes were poisonous because they belong to the nightshade family, which includes toxic plants. For over a century, they were grown mainly as ornamental plants. It wasn’t until the 18th century that tomatoes became popular as food, especially in Italian cuisine.

The first recorded use of tomatoes on pizza comes from Naples in the late 18th century. Naples had a large working-class population, and vendors sold simple flatbreads as affordable meals. Someone eventually added crushed tomatoes to these flatbreads—likely because they were cheap and easy to prepare. This new pizza style quickly became popular. By the early 19th century, Naples was known for its tomato-topped pizzas, which began evolving into the modern pizza we know today.

One of the most famous moments in pizza history came in 1889 when Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples. Legend has it that a local pizzaiolo, Raffaele Esposito, created a pizza in her honor using three simple ingredients: tomatoes (red), mozzarella (white), and basil (green) to represent the colors of the Italian flag. This pizza, now known as Pizza Margherita, helped cement the role of tomatoes in pizza culture.

As Italian immigrants moved to new countries, they brought their food traditions with them. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they introduced pizza to the U.S., where it became a national favorite. New styles appeared, from thin New York slices to Chicago deep-dish, but tomatoes stayed central. Today, whether in classic Neapolitan or creative modern versions, tomatoes remain the heart of pizza thanks to the explorers, farmers, and pizzaiolos who made it possible.

The history of tomatoes on pizza is a story of transformation. From a feared fruit to a staple ingredient, tomatoes changed pizza forever, shaping the way we enjoy this beloved dish. So the next time you savor a slice of tomato-covered pizza, remember—you’re eating a piece of history.