Neverland Pizzeria in Budapest Launches Limited-Edition Ancient Roman-Inspired Pizza

A pizzeria in Budapest has launched a limited-edition creation inspired by ancient Roman cuisine, offering a stark departure from the tomato-and-mozzarella pizzas that dominate modern menus. The dish, developed by Neverland Pizzeria, uses only ingredients that would have been available 2,000 years ago, excluding tomatoes—introduced to Europe by the 16th century—and mozzarella, which did not exist in Roman times. Instead, the pizza features fermented spinach juice, olive paste, fish sauce, and confit duck leg, with no trace of dairy or acidic tomatoes.

The concept originated from Josep Zara, founder of the pizzeria, who sought to explore what ancient Romans might have eaten. 'Curiosity drove us to ask what pizza might have been like long ago,' Zara said. 'We went all the way back to the Roman Empire and wondered whether they even ate pizza at the time.' While modern pizza did not exist in Roman times, the Romans did consume oven-baked flatbreads topped with herbs, cheeses, and sauces—direct ancestors of the dish. These flatbreads were often sold in snack bars across the empire, forming the foundation for today's pizza.

The inspiration came from a 2023 archaeological discovery in Pompeii, where a fresco depicted a focaccia-like flatbread topped with pomegranate seeds, dates, spices, and a pesto-like spread. This image sparked Zara's imagination, prompting him to research Roman culinary history. He consulted a German historian and referenced the ancient Roman cookbook 'De re coquinaria,' dating to the 5th century, to compile a list of historically documented ingredients. 'We had to exclude all ingredients that originated from America,' Zara said, emphasizing the challenge of sticking to ancient Roman resources.

Head chef Gergely Bárdossy faced significant hurdles in recreating the dish. 'More than 80% of pizza dough is water, but the Romans didn't have running water,' Bárdossy explained. After months of experimentation, the team settled on fermented spinach juice to help the dough rise. Ancient grains like einkorn and spelt, commonly cultivated in Roman times, formed the base, resulting in a denser crust than modern pizzas. The final toppings included epityrum (a Roman olive paste), garum (a fermented fish sauce), confit duck leg, toasted pine nuts, ricotta, and a grape reduction.

Despite the historical accuracy, the dish caters to a niche audience. 'Most people want more conventional pizza,' Bárdossy said. 'It's not for everyday eating. It's something special.' The pizza's connection to Pompeii is profound; the fresco was found in a house buried by Mount Vesuvius's eruption in 79 CE, just 14 miles from Naples—the modern birthplace of pizza. Experts at the archaeological park described the fresco as a 'distant ancestor of the modern dish,' linking ancient Roman flatbreads to today's beloved pizza.