SNAPSHOTSPizza
Margherita
The iconic Neapolitan dish was allegedly named for
Queen Margherita of Italy after she sampled it in Naples,
but food historians say this origin story, served up for years by
chefs and authors alike, is more than a little half-baked.P
izza is one of the most popular
dishes in the whole world. This
simple combination of baked
flatbread, tomatoes, and cheese
flowered in Italy and then spread to the
United States in the early 2oth century
with Italian immigrants. Pizza’s popu-
larity exploded in America, becoming
ubiquitous across the nation.
There are many different styles of
pizza, but only one has a royal pedigree.
The origin story began when the queen
of Italy visited Naples in 1889. Strolling
through the streets of the city center,
Queen Margherita and her husband
smelled a delicious aroma wafting from
a pizzeria.coincidence, he had renamed as The
Queen of Italy Pizzeria six years be-
fore). Umberto and Margherita were in-
deed in Naples when the pizza letter was
sent on June 11, 1889. Galli was the head
of the Services of the Table of the Royal
Household, and the royals did have a mo-
tive to ingratiate themselves with the Ne-
apolitans, who had chafed under the high
taxes of the new Kingdom of Italy.
The movement to free Italy from for-
eign rule had begun in the early 1800s. In
1861 southern Italy and Naples was
wrested from its Bourbon rulers (who
were linked to Spain), and the indepen-
dent Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed.
The inclusion of Rome in the new king-
dom in 1870 completed unification. In
1878 Italy’s second king was crowned:
Umberto I, with Margherita as his queen.
United Italy, its flag, and its monarchy,
however, were new concepts, and not
popular with all. In the first year of his
reign, Umberto survived an assassination
attempt in Naples. Food, therefore, could
be a unifier, especially a Neapolitan pizza,
made with the colors of the flag, praised
by—and named for—the queen.Cooking up a Myth
Was the pizza Margherita a savvy piece
of culinary diplomacy crafted by royal of-
ficials? Having the royal family sample
the food of the people would be a way to
win over hearts and minds. Traditionally,
the origin story has been interpreted thatIntrigued, the couple invited the chef
of the establishment, Raffaele Esposito,
to the city’s Capodimonte Palace to cook
the dish for them there. Esposito prepared
three different kinds of pizza. One option
emulated the colors of the Italian flag: It
featured red tomatoes, white mozzarella,
and fresh green basil.
The following day, Esposito received
a letter from Camillo Galli, head of the
Services of the Table of the Royal House-
hold, which read: “Esteemed Signor Raf-
faele Esposito. I confirm that the three
kinds of pizza prepared by you for her
Royal Highness the Queen were found
to be excellent.” Although Margherita
enjoyed all three pizzas, she declared the
red, white, and green to be her favorite.
Esposito duly named it after her, and a
classic Neapolitan specialty was born.Pizza and Patriotism
This tale, with variations, continues to
be told in tourist guides, cookbooks,
and food histories. It has the right in-
gredients for popular appeal: the fairy-
tale motif of a queen sampling the food
of the common people, and the patri-
otic overtones embodied by the colors
of the pizza and the Italian flag.
Aspects of the story have been verified.
Historians confirm that in 1889, Esposi-
to was the owner of a pizzeria (which, byBRIDGEMAN/ACIHUSBAND AND WIFE, RAFFAELE ESPOSITO
AND MARIA GIOVANNA BRANDIFit for a Queen
12 MARCH/APRIL 2022LUCIANOFURIA/GETTY