The story of Margherita Pizza and how it came to being (2024)
Pizza, a dish that we all love to indulge in. But the truth is that the run-of-the-mill pizza we eat today is far from an authentic Italian slice. Pizza in fact has many different variations, depending on the region of Italy you are in. For example the dough in Rome is made with olive oil so it can be stretched and eventually become thinner. In Naples on the other hand, the dough consists of yeast, flour, water, and salt, which makes the base fluffy. Today we are going to look at the most authentic pizza from Naples, the humble, yet delicious, Margherita.
If you travel to Naples, you might be in for a surprise when it comes to the pizzas here. They are quite different from what you might be used to. Above all else, the Margherita is a must try, as it is a classic from the region with an interesting story of its origin. It dates back to 1861.
Believe it or not, Margherita is one of the most popular pizzas in the world. Yes it is a humble one, without the glitz and glamour of your exciting toppings, but it hits home. There is a warmth that is undeniable. Margherita pizza gets its name from Queen Margherita of Savoy, who was the Queen consort of Umberto I. It was once during her visit to Naples that the dish came into being.
The story goes that the Queen was tired of eating French food all the time, as it was the cuisine of choice among the European royalty. So, the onus was on Raffaele Esposito, a pizza chef of great reputation, to dish out some exciting new dish for her. He went ahead and made three pizzas, and according to legend, it was the third one that made its mark on the Queen.
The first two were Pizza Marinara, and Pizza Napoli. The third was a cheesy, saucy beauty that in fact looked like the colours of the Italian flag. The white cheese, the green basil, and the red tomato sauce. This was an instant hit with the Queen, and came to be known as the Margherita pizza.
Here is an interesting piece of news for you. Chef Raffaele Esposito was the chef at a Naples restaurant called Pizzeria Brandi, which still exists to this day. This means you can grab a slice of pizza at the famed restaurant even to this day.
A popular contemporary legend holds that the archetypal pizza Margherita was invented in June 1889, when the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan
Neapolitan
Traditionally in Naples pasta must be cooked al dente, while soft pasta is not tolerated. The most popular variety of pasta, besides the classic spaghetti and linguine, are the paccheri and the ziti, long pipe-shaped pasta, broken by hand before cooking and usually topped with Neapolitan ragù.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Neapolitan_cuisine
According to the popular legend, the pizza Margherita was invented in 1889 by Raffaele Esposito, chef at Pizzeria Brandi. The pizza was allegedly created in honor of Italy's unification, with the three toppings—basil, mozzarella, and tomato—respectively representing the green, white, and red of the Italian flag.
Modern pizza evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, between the 16th and mid-18th century. The word pizza was first documented in AD 997 in Gaeta and successively in different parts of Central and Southern Italy.
The dish was named after Queen Margherita by Esposito, and the rest is disputed history. Another story theorizes that the word Margherita translates to “daisy” in Italian, so the pizza got its name from the daisy-shaped arrangement of mozzarella and basil on top of the pizza.
The story of the first pizza is a popular and entertaining tale that has been told and retold for centuries. It originated from Naples, Italy in the 16th century. The original story was about a baker named Raffaele Esposito who invented this special dish to feed his hungry customers during Lent.
Here is some information on this beloved classic according to Wikipedia. A widespread belief says that in June 1889 the pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito, Pizzeria Brandi's chef, invented a dish called “Pizza Margherita” in honor of the Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, and the Italian unification.
Let's clear things up so you can use them both in your writing correctly. Margarita is an alcoholic beverage made with tequila and lime juice.Margherita is pizza made with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.
Pizza was first invented in Naples, Italy as a fast, affordable, tasty meal for working-class Neapolitans on the go. While we all know and love these slices of today, pizza actually didn't gain mass appeal until the 1940s, when immigrating Italians brought their classic slices to the United States.
In 1905, Gennaro Lombardi applied to the New York City government for the first license to make and sell pizza in this country, at his grocery store on Spring Street in what was then a thriving Italian-American neighborhood.
It's widely speculated that pizza came from the Greek word “pitta,” which means “pie” ; however some historians believe that pizza came from the Langobardic word “bizzo,” which means “bite.” Latin texts dating back to 977 Italy have been entered into a 1598 Italian-English dictionary as “a small wafer or cake.”
Pizza margherita, as the Italians call it, is a simple pizza hailing from Naples. When done right, margherita pizza features a bubbly crust, crushed San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. That is all.
Margherita pizza can be healthier than regular pizza because it uses fresh ingredients and less processed toppings. However, it still has a high sodium content, so it's best to eat it in moderation.
The colors on the pizza (red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil) were meant to represent the national colors of Italy. At 3 Sons Italian, we offer a traditional take on the Margherita pizza.
A popular contemporary legend holds that the archetypal pizza Margherita was invented in June 1889, when the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito to create a pizza in honor of the visiting Queen Margherita.
Pizza was first created by the Baker named Raffeale Esposito in Naples, Italy. He was willing to invent Pizza which is totally different from other Types of Pizzas in Naples. He first came up with the idea of savoring the Pizza with cheese. Later, he added tomato sauce underneath.
According to a popular (but questioned) legend, Esposito was requested to prepare a pizza for Queen Margherita of Savoy, who had traveled to Naples with King Umberto I. Esposito and his wife were admitted to the royal kitchens to prepare this dish as he saw fit.
Neapolitan pizzas have a thinner crust because they are cooked for a shorter period of time at a very high temperature. Margherita pizzas, on the other hand, are cooked for a longer duration at a lower temperature, allowing the dough to rise longer and producing a thicker crust.
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