What do you know about Margherita pizza? Here at Fairway Pizza, we know all kinds of pizza, but today we’re going to take a look at the Margherita pizza.
Everything You Need to Know
What is It?
Let’s start with the basics – what is Margherita pizza?
Also referred to as “Pizza Margherita”, this is a Neapolitan variety of pizza. Traditionally, this Pizza is made with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, salt, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Over time, in the United States Margherita pizza has come to describe any type of pizza made with freshly sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. While the traditional “recipe” calls for San Marzano tomatoes, this has become less of a “necessity” in less traditional cultures.
The Myth…
Over the years it has been said that this style of pizza was created for the Italian Queen Margherita of Savoy by pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito. The pizza is also said to have represented the unification of Italy with the colors of the Italian flag represented – red in the tomatoes, white in the mozzarella, and green in the basil leaves.
This story is a myth, however.
This style of pizza or at least the topping combination of this style of pizza already existed in Naples between 1796 and 1810. While the topping combination already existed, what about the name? It is thought that the name of this pizza originated in 1849. In 1849 Emanuele Rocco described a thinly sliced pizza topped with basil, tomatoes, and thin slices of mozzarella. He described the pizza as having the mozzarella shaped like a flower with basil leaves. The word “Margherita” translates to mean “daisy” which is likely where the pizza actually got its name.
Facts About Margherita Pizza
- The original pizza recipe does not resemble the pizza we know today, but not just because of the type of tomatoes used. The original recipe actually didn’t have the type of pizza sauce that we know and love today, it relied more on crushed tomatoes with a sprinkling of salt.
- When made in a traditional style, this pizza is cooked in an authentic wood-fired pizza oven for a short period over very high heat.
- Although there are a variety of basil types, sweet basil is preferred when making this type of pizza.
- There are actually three types of Neopolitano pizzas:
- Marinara – when the pizza is made with peeled tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil
- Margherita – When the pizza is made with peeled tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.
- Margherita Extra – When the pizza is made with peeled tomatoes, sliced bufala mozzarella from Campania, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.
Craving Pizza?
If you’re craving pizza here in Dunedin, come on by and pay us a visit here at Fairway Pizza! We’ve got plenty of pizza options to choose from and if Pizza isn’t your thing, know that we’ve got plenty of other great choices too, just take a look at our menu!