Raffaele Esposito facts for kids
Raffaele Esposito was an Italian chef who lived in the 1800s. He owned a popular restaurant in Naples called Pizzeria di Pietro e basta così. Many people believe Esposito was the person who created modern pizza as we know it today.
In 1889, pizza was not a very famous food. It was mostly eaten by poor people who used different ingredients they had to avoid waste. At that time, Raffaele Esposito was known as the best pizza maker in Naples, a city in Italy.
How Pizza Margherita Was Born
In 1889, something special happened. Queen Margherita of Savoy and King Umberto I visited Naples. They asked Raffaele Esposito to make a pizza for them.
Esposito and his wife were allowed into the royal kitchen. He thought that the usual garlic topping on pizza might not be right for the Queen. So, he decided to make three different pizzas.
One of these pizzas used a mix of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. These ingredients were chosen because their colors – red, white, and green – looked like the Italian flag. Some stories say this was the very first time mozzarella cheese was used on a pizza.
A Royal Taste Test
Queen Margherita had never eaten pizza before. She really loved the pizza Esposito made with the red, white, and green toppings. She was so impressed that she had her staff send Esposito a letter. The letter praised his pizzas, saying they were "delicious."
Esposito used this special letter to tell everyone about his restaurant. He named the pizza the Queen liked best "Pizza Margherita" in her honor. While this story is very famous, some historians say that a pizza with these same toppings was already made in Naples even before 1889.
The Legacy of Raffaele Esposito
Many people believe that this event with Queen Margherita made pizza very popular. Because of Esposito's new ideas for ingredients and how he presented the dish to the Queen, some call him the "father of modern pizza."
Esposito's restaurant is still open today, but its name has changed to Pizzeria Brandi. You can even see the royal letter from Queen Margherita on display there!
