In episode eight of Eating History, hosts Adrienne Cheatham and Stephen Bailey look ahead to the future of pizza while asking one final question: what is pizza now? After tracing its journey from the streets of Naples to every corner of the globe, they explore how technology, sustainability, and changing ideas about authenticity are shaping the next chapter of one of the world’s most beloved foods.

Topics Covered:

• What pizza means in the modern world

• The debate between authenticity and “authentic-ish” pizza

• Ghost kitchens and delivery-only pizza brands

• Automation, robotics, and the future of pizza making

• Sustainability and pizza’s environmental impact

• 3D-printed pizza and emerging food technologies

• Questions of class, affordability, and accessibility

• The tension between innovation and tradition

• Japanese pizza culture and the pursuit of perfection through kaizen

• Pizza’s journey to space

From ancient traditions to futuristic technologies, this season finale explores how pizza continues to evolve while remaining deeply connected to the people, places, and cultures that have shaped it.