Since the mid-20th Century, Americans have sustained a love affair with Italian food, especially pizza. In the United States, on a typical day, nearly 15% of Americans eat it, including 1 in 4 boys between the ages of 6 and 19, according to the Agricultural Research Service. Pizza is considered a staple food of American adolescence.

Cooked flatbreads with toppings that resemble modern pizzas have origins in antiquity. Modern pizza shops emerged in Naples in 1865, according to History Today. Pizza Margherita was crafted as a tribute to Italy's unity and named after the Queen, replicating the red, white, and green colors of the Italian royal tricolor in the red tomatoes, white cheese, and green basil of the Neapolitan pie, according to Italy Magazine.

The World War II Connection

Although a staple of Little Italies along the East Coast since the late 19th Century, pizza was truly introduced to the American masses, as with many central European foods, by G.I.s returning from the European Theatre of Operations, according to NPR. American soldiers fell in love with it during the Italian campaign and subsequent occupation and brought it home with them across the country. Pizza benefited from this moment in American history.

Sales on the Half-Shell

Pizza had already become an American staple by 1984 when the first national edition of the comic book Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was published, according to the National Museum of American History. Looking for a touchstone with American youth following the successful completion of their television deal, creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird settled on pizza, and showrunners Walt Kubiak, Fred Wolf, and Rudy Zamora ran with it.

Pizza became a signature favorite food for Eastman and Laird's scaly superheroes. Product placement of real-world pizza shops like Pizza Hut and Domino's was good for both the Turtles and their sponsors. Pizza as a signature food became a lasting part of the series. While it likely boosted the popularity of pizza in the younger generation, since pizza was already rising, it's hard to tell which was the greater influence on the other.

Pizza is a complex food with pre-history dating as far back as antiquity. Pizza is reinvented all the time. What's certain about pizza? That it's not going away any time soon. If you're ready to dive into a delicious pie, Gino's of Lindenhurst Pizzeria & Restaurant is ready to welcome you with open arms.