9 Foods People Ate During World War II - Tasting Table

"Pizza was, of course, eaten long, long before World War II. In fact, research suggests that an early version of the recipe was probably eaten in ancient Rome. The pizza we are familiar with today, though, smothered in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, originated in the Southern Italian city of Naples. Legend has it that American soldiers stationed in Italy during the Second World War fell in love with pizza."

"Many experts dispute this. Pizza was already in the U.S. long before the war. In fact, the very first American pizzerias opened in the late 1890s and early 20th century. At first, the restaurants catered to fellow Italian immigrants, but over the decades, pizza's popularity started to spread across the U.S. Not just because of soldiers, but also because pizza was simple and cheap to produce, which led to an increase in pizzerias run by people of many different backgrounds"

Grocery abundance is common today, but World War II created major strain on the global food system. Countries struggled to feed troops and civilians, prompting widespread rationing to allocate limited supplies. Rationing substantially altered daily meals and encouraged creative substitutions and new recipes. Examples include Italy's pizza fritta, Dutch tulip bulb soup, and British boiled parsnip and sugar sandwiches. Pizza has ancient roots and a modern origin in Naples, and American soldiers in Italy reportedly enjoyed it. Many experts note that pizza already existed in the U.S. before the war, and its simplicity and low cost drove wider adoption.

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