Pizza Margherita, The Origins
Pizza Margherita was created in 1889 by Neapolitan pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy, using tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to represent the colors of the Italian flag.
CURIOSITÀ
6/13/20241 min read
Much more than a simple Neapolitan specialty, pizza is a true culinary and cultural treasure, a Neapolitan pride famous and appreciated all over the world!
But when exactly was pizza born?
Neapolitan pizza originated around the 1600s from the enormous culinary ingenuity of Naples, which sought to make the traditional flatbread tastier and more flavorful. Initially, it consisted of bread dough baked in wood-fired ovens, seasoned with garlic, lard, coarse salt, and sometimes caciocavallo cheese and basil. However, it wasn't until the second half of the 1800s that the first classic "tomato and mozzarella" pizza as we know it today emerged; specifically, it was in 1889 when the then-king and queen of Italy, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy, visited Naples.
According to tradition, Raffaele Esposito, the best pizzaiolo of the time, made three pizzas for the sovereigns, but the last one, a pizza with tomato and mozzarella whose colors deliberately reflected the Italian tricolor, was particularly significant.
The queen enjoyed the last pizza so much that she wanted to thank and praise the pizzaiolo in writing. To reciprocate and in honor of this, Raffaele Esposito named his culinary masterpiece after the queen. Since then, this pizza has spread and become popular all over the world under the name "Pizza Margherita."
