Pizza Margherita is a typical
Neapolitan pizza, made with
San Marzano tomatoes,
mozzarella fior di latte,
[1] fresh
basil,
salt and
extra-virgin olive oil.
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, since toppings are
tomato (red),
mozzarella (white) and
basil (green), representing the same colors of the national
flag of Italy.
[2]
The legend of pizza Margherita is considered a
false history, as a pizza made with the same toppings was already present in
Naples between 1796 and 1810,
[3] although it probably was not called "Margherita". In
1830, in the book
Napoli, contorni e dintorni, written by Riccio, it was described as a pizza with tomato, mozzarella and basil.
[4] In 1849 Emanuele Rocco recorded different pizza toppings like basil, tomatoes and thin slices of mozzarella;
[5] the mozzarella was thinly sliced, and arranged with a flower-shape over the tomato sauce, along with the basil leaves: this may be the real origin of the name Margherita (meaning
daisy).
[6]
In 1866 Francesco De Bourcard, writing about the
Naples traditions,
[5] described the most commonly used pizza toppings at that time, included the ones called today
pizza marinara,
pizza margherita and
calzone:The most ordinary pizzas, called
coll'aglio e l'olio (
with garlic and oil), are dressed with oil, and over there it's spread, as well as salt, the
origanum and
garlic cloves shredded minutely. Others are covered with grated cheese and dressed with
lard, and then they put over a few leaves of
basil. Over the firsts is often added some small seafish; on the seconds some thin slices of
mozzarella. Sometimes they use slices of
prosciutto, tomato,
arselle, etc.... Sometimes folding the dough over itself it forms what is called
calzone.