Margherita pizza

Margherita Pizza

Margherita pizza is a traditional Italian pizza originating from Naples. It is widely recognized for its simple yet fresh ingredients: a base of dough topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, salt, and olive oil. This pizza is named after Queen Margherita of Savoy and is reputed to represent the colors of the Italian flag with its red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil.

History

The Margherita pizza was reportedly created in 1889 by chef Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi, a pizzeria established in 1760 in Naples. The pizza was made in honor of the visit of Queen Margherita of Savoy. Chef Esposito prepared three different pizzas, and the one that the queen preferred was topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This pizza was then named after the queen.

Ingredients and Preparation

The traditional Margherita pizza is made with simple, high-quality ingredients. The base is a hand-kneaded pizza dough that is topped with a sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, which are grown in the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius. The sauce is then garnished with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, preferably mozzarella di bufala, which is made from the milk of water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio.

After the cheese, fresh basil leaves are scattered over the top, and the pizza is seasoned with salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The pizza is then baked in a wood-fired oven at a high temperature for a few minutes, which gives it a unique flavor and texture.

Cultural Significance

Margherita pizza is not only a staple of Neapolitan cuisine but also a symbol of Italian culinary tradition. It is often used as a benchmark for the quality of pizzerias around the world. The simplicity of the ingredients and the cooking method emphasizes the skill of the pizzaiolo (pizza maker) and the quality of the raw materials.

Variations

While the classic Margherita pizza remains popular, there are variations that include using different types of cheese like fior di latte, adding garlic, or using different types of tomatoes. However, purists argue that these alterations do not conform to the traditional definition of a Margherita pizza.

See Also

• Pizza Napoletana
• Italian cuisine
• List of Italian dishes