The Roman Empire was quite possibly the most monumental force behind the creation of modernity and life as we know it. This innovative group of intrepid explorers sought to map not only the geographical world, but also the outer reaches of the human spirit, propelling our humble species into uncharted territories of language, religion, technology, art, literature, architecture, and engineering. What’s more, all of this ingenuity was accomplished in perhaps the most comfortable fashion to date, a toga.
So it’s no wonder that one of the earliest iterations of pizza can be traced back to this magical land and people. Perhaps realizing the timeless importance of the recipe, in the second century BCE a Roman historian by the name of Cato the Elder chronicled a dish comprised of round bread slices topped with herbs and olives. A hundred years later, the historian Virgil wrote of a similar meal, the historical veracity of which was demonstrated when cooking tools to make such dishes were excavated from the ruins of Pompeii, suggesting that ancient Romans may have been chowing down on this fabled food under the violent eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
In celebration of all things pizza and Roman, The Beijinger will be hosting the 2019 Beijing Pizza Festival on Oct 19-20 at Galaxy Soho. From 11am to 8pm hordes of pizza lovers will gather amongst some of the city’s best pizza purveyors, stuffing their faces with mouthfuls of gooey cheese, delectable sauces, and a mountain of toppings.
To help you spiritually connect with the forbears of pizza goodness, RMB 60 will get you a ticket to the festival, plus a toga, waistband, and olive branch wreath. For those of you who would rather wrap yourselves in your finest 600-thread count bedsheet, entry to the festival runs a measly RMB 20. If togas aren’t your style, but you still want to represent your love of all things pizza, then RMB 50 will get you a ticket to the party and an official Pizza Fest t-shirt.
In addition to the massive amounts of pizza on offer, there will also be an opera challenge, an emperor and empress toga costume competition, live music, games, and drinks to wash it all down.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Photos: The Beijinger, Alamy, Uni You
