Pizza Margherita facts for kids
Pizza Margherita is a famous type of pizza that comes from Naples, a city in Italy. It's known for its simple, fresh ingredients. These include San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
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The Story of Pizza Margherita
How Pizza Margherita Got Its Name
The story of Pizza Margherita is quite interesting! In June 1889, a talented pizza maker named Raffaele Esposito created a special pizza. He worked at a place called Pizzeria Brandi in Naples.
He made this pizza to honor the Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. The pizza's ingredients were chosen to match the colors of the flag of Italy.
Colors of Italy's Flag on a Pizza
The red came from the juicy tomato sauce. The white came from the creamy mozzarella cheese. And the green came from fresh basil leaves. These three colors together represented the newly united Italy. This is how the pizza got its name, "Pizza Margherita."
Early Pizzas in Naples
Even before Queen Margherita's visit, pizzas with similar toppings were popular in Naples. People had been mixing ingredients like basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella on their pizzas for many years. For example, in 1849, someone named Emanuele Rocco wrote about pizzas with these very toppings. The mozzarella was often sliced very thin and added on top.
In 1866, Francesco De Bourcard also wrote about the common pizzas in Naples. He described pizzas with oil, salt, and garlic. Other pizzas had grated cheese and lard, often with basil leaves. Sometimes, people added small fish or thin slices of mozzarella. This shows that the idea of combining these fresh ingredients was already a part of Naples' food traditions.
See also
In Spanish: Pizza margarita para niños
