It’s Not the Pizza Dough that Makes It a Pizza Pie!
Pizza goes by many different names, but inarguably the term “pizza pie” is one of them. So where does this term come from? And who ever thought of calling pizza a pie anyway?
Most people believe that it’s the pizza dough that gives pizza the nickname of “pie.” Especially when shaped into a round circle, and especially when baked deep-dish style, the idea that this is where the term “pie” originated from does make sense. But in fact, it’s wrong. The name has nothing to do with the dough, or really, homemade pizza at all.
In fact, the term “pie” comes from the Magpie – a bird with feathers that are usually seen in patches of two different colors. The bird was called “Pica” by the ancient Romans, which was translated by the English into “Pizza.” The term kept the ending “bird” of the term, to make “pizza pie.”
But how did the name of a bird come to have anything to do with pizza?
In fact, the Magpie was chosen to represent pizza for certain reasons. The first is that the bird has two colors – just as pizza is mostly red sauce against a pale pizza crust. The second reason the Magpie was chosen as the “bird of pizza” is because the Magpie is known for going around and picking up and collecting little bits and pieces – just as pizza is known for collecting different toppings.
So the next time someone orders a pizza pie, you can rest assured you’re delivering it to them, whether it’s just a slice – or a whole round “pie!”