Pizza, Please!

One of the world's most popular foods along with the hamburger, fried chicken, and milk shakes is pizza. Although the origin of the first three foods is well understood, that of pizza —— until recently, anyway —— was for a long time an international controversy.
　　The word pizza has always been known to mean pie or cake, and is an Italian word. This fact alone might suggest pizza's origins. However, some years ago in New York City, a Chinese restaurateur challenged the Italian ethnicity of pizza by declaring that pizza was originally a Chinese food, but was then taken along with pasta by Marco Polo back to Italy. It seemed the question would never be solved.
　　The case actually made itself into court (only in America!). Italian restaurateurs challenged the Chinese businessman's view, but when all the evidence was in, the result was announced by a judge: as early as the Roman Empire, pizza was baked in ovens there and eaten. Chinese normally steam or fry their foods, not bake them. Bread and other baked goods to which pizza belongs were developed from India through Europe where they are still enjoyed today. Besides, cheese is an essential element of pizza, and the Chinese traditionally did not produce cheese. The case was closed, and pizza's paternity has now been established.
　　For pizza lovers, of course, their favorite food might have been invented in Argentina or Indonesia. Who cares? Indeed, pizza has changed as it has spread around the globe, so that when ordering a pizza in Honolulu, New York, Paris, Istanbul, New Delhi, or Tokyo, you are sure to receive a slightly different version in each city or country. Pizza known to Italians and New Yorkers (where pizza was first introduced into the United States by the many Italian Americans living there) is a round, thin-crusted baked dish covered with tomato sauce and cheese. To improve the taste, pieces of Italian sausages such as pepperoni and salami, and vegetables like onions, green peppers and olives are added. Occasionally, anchovies, small, salty fish, are also used. However, Asians enjoy pizza with corn, cucumbers, and other vegetables, not to mention assorted seafood. Hawaiians, perhaps predictably, developed a pizza with a pineapple and ham topping. Today, nearly every country has its favorite local variety of pizza. Worldwide, there must be more than 1,000 varieties of pizza.
　　Some people are not so fond of pizza. They classify it as a junk food, along with greasy French fries, potato chips, and hamburgers. On the contrary, say defenders of pizza, it is indeed a healthful food. Carefully chosen fresh ingredients can ensure the quality of any food we eat, and pizza is no exception.
　　Others protest that pizza is too fattening to be eaten regularly. Not true, respond those enamored of pizza's charms. It all depends on the ingredients and how well they are prepared. For example, the meats which are used as toppings on pizza are often first fried to remove excess fat. The cheeses used can be selected for their high protein but low milk fat. Sparse rather than generous addition of spices such as salt ensure that pizza need not be considered junk food. A well-made pizza not only looks, smells, and tastes great, but it is a wise choice for everyone as a regular food source. Indeed, it seems the only disadvantage to pizza is that when dropped, it causes a mess!
　　Children enjoy pizza because it's fun to eat and delicious. Workers enjoy it because it is inexpensive and quick to order, too. Families enjoy the convenience of carrying home a whole meal from the many vendors of this world-famous food. With its many advantages, no one needs to resist the allure of one of the world's most popular foods. Come to think of it, let's have pizza for dinner tonight!

　　和汉堡包、炸鸡以及奶昔一样，比萨是世界上最受欢迎的食物之一。虽然前面三种食物的起源甚为明了，比萨的起源长――总之一直到最近――长久以来在国际间一直引发争议。
　　比萨这个字向来被认为是派或蛋糕的意思，而且它是意大利文，光是这一点也许就暗示了比萨的起源。然而几年前纽约市有一家中国餐馆的老板对比萨的意大利“血统”提出质疑，他宣称比萨原本是中国食物，但后来和面食一起被马可波罗带回意大利。当时这个问题似乎永远也解决不了。
　　实际上，这场官司还闹上了法庭（也只有在美国才会！）。意大利餐馆的老板们质疑那位中国商人的看法，不过在取得所有证据时，法官宣布了以下的结果：早在罗马帝国时代，比萨就被放在火炉上烘烤来吃。中国人通常把食物拿来蒸或炒，而不用烘烤的。面包和比萨所属的烘焙食品早先在印度发展而后传到欧洲，至今在当地仍广受喜爱。此外，奶酪是做比萨不可或缺的材料，而传统上中国人并没有生产奶酪。本案终结，比萨的法定身分如今已然建立。
　　当然，对比萨爱好者而言，他们最喜爱的比萨或许是从阿根廷、或许是从印度尼西亚发展出来的，谁在乎呢？的确，比萨流传到全球各地时已经有了改变，因此当你在檀香山、纽约、巴黎、伊斯坦布尔、新德里或东京点比萨时，每一个城市或国家的比萨做法一定都会有些许不同。意大利人和纽约客所熟知的比萨（住在纽约的许多意裔美国人首先将比萨引进美国）是一种圆形的烘烤薄片，上面撒满蕃茄酱和奶酪。为了增加美味，可加上几片美式腊肠和萨拉米香肠等意大利香肠，以及像洋葱、青椒和橄榄等蔬菜。有时候也会添加鳀鱼，一种很咸的小鱼。然而，亚洲人喜欢吃加上玉米、小黄瓜和其它蔬菜的比萨，什锦海鲜更是不用说。夏威夷人，或许一想就知道，发展出一种上面覆着菠萝和火腿的比萨。如今几乎每个国家都有当地最受欢迎的比萨口味。而全世界必定已有超过1000种的比萨了。
　　有些人不喜欢吃比萨，他们把它归类为一种垃圾食物，和油腻的薯条、洋芋片以及汉堡包一样。相反地，为比萨辩护的人则说它确实是一种健康食品。慎选新鲜的配料可确保我们所吃的食物质量，而比萨也不例外。
　　其它反对的人则说比萨太油腻，不能常吃。迷恋比萨魅力的人回答说不对，那完全要看配料以及准备功夫的程度而定。例如，用来放在比萨上面的肉类通常会先炒过以去除多余的油脂。所使用的奶酪可以选择高蛋白但低奶油的；添加少许而非大量像盐巴之类的调味料便可确保比萨不被视为垃圾食物。制作精巧的比萨不仅色、香、味俱佳，而且是大家日常食物来源的一个聪明选择。的确，比萨似乎只有一项缺点，那就是当它掉到地上时会搞得一团糟！
　　儿童喜欢吃比萨，因为它吃起来好玩又美味可口。工人喜欢吃，因为它不贵而且订购快速。家庭则享受从许多食品店把这举世闻名的食物带回家当作一餐的便利。因为有许多好处，任何人都不必抗拒这种全世界最受欢迎食物之一的诱惑。现在想一想，不如咱们今天晚餐就吃比萨吧！