Budapest Pizzeria Crafts Ancient Roman Pizza Without Tomatoes or Mozzarella
A Budapest pizzeria is taking diners on a remarkable culinary journey back two millennia, to an era before tomatoes, mozzarella, or even the term "pizza" were known in Europe. At Neverland Pizzeria, located in the heart of the Hungarian capital, founder Josep Zara and his team have meticulously crafted a limited-edition pie using exclusively ingredients that would have been accessible in ancient Rome, long before the modern pizza emerged.
Curiosity drove us to ask what pizza might have been like long ago, Mr Zara explained. We went all the way back to the Roman Empire and wondered whether they even ate pizza at the time. Strictly speaking, they did not. Tomatoes arrived in Europe centuries later from the Americas, and mozzarella was as yet unknown. Some historical accounts suggest that the discovery of mozzarella led directly to the invention of pizza in Naples during the 1700s.
However, Romans did consume oven-baked flatbreads topped with herbs, cheeses, and sauces, which are considered the direct ancestors of modern pizza. These were often sold in ancient Roman snack bars known as thermopolia. In 2023, archaeologists uncovered a fresco in Pompeii depicting a focaccia-like flatbread topped with what appear to be pomegranate seeds, dates, spices, and a pesto-like spread. This image made headlines globally and sparked Mr Zara's imagination.
Historical Research and Culinary Innovation
That made me very curious about what kind of flavor this food might have had, Mr Zara said. That's where we got the idea to create a pizza that people might have eaten in the Roman Empire, using only ingredients that were in wide use at the time. He began researching Roman culinary history, consulting a historian in Germany as well as the ancient cookbook De re coquinaria, thought to have been authored around the 5th century. Following his research, he compiled a list of historically documented ingredients to present to the pizzeria's head chef.
Head chef László Bárdossy noted that the constraints forced the team into months of experimentation and a few false starts. We had to discard a couple ideas, Mr Bárdossy said. The fact that there wasn't infrastructure like a water system at the time of the Romans made things difficult for us, since more than 80 per cent of pizza dough is water. We had to come up with something that would have worked before running water.
The solution involved helping the dough rise using fermented spinach juice. Ancient grains such as einkorn and spelt, widely cultivated in Roman times, formed the base, resulting in a dough that is slightly more dense than that of most modern pizzas.
Authentic Toppings and Modern Appeal
The finished pie is topped with ingredients associated with Roman aristocratic cuisine, including:
- Epityrum, an olive paste
- Garum, a fermented fish sauce ubiquitous in Roman cooking
- Confit duck leg
- Toasted pine nuts
- Ricotta cheese
- A grape reduction
Our creation can be called a modern pizza from the perspective that we tried to make it comprehensible for everyone, Mr Bárdossy said. Although we wouldn't use all its ingredients for everyday dishes. There is a narrow niche that thinks this is delicious and is curious about it, while most people want more conventional pizza, so it's not for everyday eating. It's something special.
For Mr Zara, the project reflects Neverland Pizzeria's broader philosophy. We've always liked coming up with new and interesting things, but tradition is also very important for us, and we thought that these two things together suit us, he said. However, he added a modern boundary the restaurant will not cross: We do a lot of experimentation with our pizzas. But of course, we definitely do not use pineapple.
