Of all creations conceived in the capital of Campania, the golden disc of dough topped with tomatoes, creamy Fior di Latte Mozzarella and scattered Basil leaves has to be Numero Uno! The Neapolitans proudly profess their love of their home-grown treasure with claims that they indulge in a pizza three times a week. Pizzerias in Naples have an open Shop-front so that passer-by who cannot resist the
aroma of the Wood-fired Ovens and the scent of a freshly baked pizza can access them quickly. Handed over wrapped in paper, double-folded and called Pizza a Libretto, the pizza has to be eaten speedily, as hot as possible and traditionally only with your hands. The Pizza as we know it was born around the late 1700 when the Neapolitans began to growing their own tomatoes and teamed it with flat baked bread. A poor man’s dish, the Pizza Marinara (the Sailor’s Pizza) gained its name from the fisher men of Naples who after a night at sea stopped by the baker in the morning on their way home looking for something quick, filling, hot and tasty. Pizza fit the bill perfectly. By 1889 even Queen Margherita of Savoy had heard of this Famous Local Dish .When her husband King Umberto brought her to summer at their stunning hunting lodge at Capodimonte, the queen wanted to try it. Selected as the best Pizzaiolo (pizza maker) at the time , Raffaele Esposito was summoned to court. He prepared three pizzas for the queen to taste. one with olive oil and chees, another with small fish similar to whitebait called Cicinielli olive oil and garlic and lastly the most popular variety among Neapolitans , one with tomato, mozzarella and basil. When the queen asked Raffaele the name of this Pizza he astutely replied :‘Margherita in your honour ,your Majesty ! From that moment forward the tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza became known as Pizza Margherita. Originally a meal of the poor, the Queen’s very positive culinary review boosted the acceptance of the pizza among the upper classes and aristocracy,and it is now enjoyed by all.
