Mental Floss: Food History

The history of pizza is not as clear-cut (into 8 slices) as you might imagine. Pizza history is actually filed with myths and half-truths. In this episode, host Justin Dodd peels back the cheesy surface to uncover the truth (and some of the more entertaining lies) about pizza's history. He looks at who invented pizza, where pizza comes from, and much much more.

The bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich is a quick, cheap, and delicious breakfast favorite. But how did it become a city staple? How long has bacon been the go-to morning protein? Is American cheese actually made of plastic? And whose idea was it to put three delicious ingredients together under one crispy roll?

Coffin bread is a retro Taiwanese street food. This chicken liver chowder is encased in a deep-fried bread bowl. But what does this tasty dish have to do with the history of international diplomacy? And do you have to be dead to enjoy it? (Spoiler alert: you don't.)