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In
1889 King Umberto and his wife the queen Margherita
decided to visit Naples and, both for policy
and gluttony, they tasted the Neapolitan pizza,
a meal born in 1700.
although it was invented about 3,000 years
ago, the pizza, the way we know it, dates
back the first years of 18th century, when
tomato, its main ingredient, was introduced
in Europe, so in Italy , for the first time.
At that time there were three most appreciated
kinds of pizza:
-
Pizza alla mastunicola ( it's more or less
the pizza with mozzarella)
- Pizza alla marinara ( with oil, tomato,
oregano, garlic and anchovy)
- Pizza with tomato and mozzarella ( with
oil, tomato and mozzarella)
The
Royal family summoned at the Palace the most
skilled pizza makers: Raffaele Esposito and
his wife Rosina Brandi.
The two pizza makers started to prepare the
three most famous kind of pizza , the pizza
alla mastunicola, the marinare and the pizza
with tomato and mozzarella, making a little
modification for this last one, adding basil
to it.
The evident allusion to th e colours of the
Italian flag reproduced with the red tomato,
the white mozzarella and the green basil,
conquered the queen's heart and palate. She
was enthusiastic of it and congratulated with
the author of such a deliciousness, raffaele
Esposito.
The pizza maker, moved and surprised at the
queen's reaction, decided to give the pizza
the queen's name, creating the famous Margherita,
until today appreciated all over the world.
This episode conferred the pizza the royal
seal of the Savoia's and the Bourbon's before.
Until today the famous pizzeria Brandi keeps
a document signed : " Truly, Galli Camillo,
the Royal Master of Ceremonies, 1889".
In the document he thanks raffaele Esposito
, the owner of the pizzeria " Pietro
e basta così" for the high quality
of the pizza , particularly for the Pizza
Margherita, created for her Majesty the Queen
Margherita, who, as the document attests,
found the pizza excellent.
At the beginning of the new century the pizza
started to be diffused on a national then
world level: it was appreciated in every part
of the world: from Europe to America to Japan,
becoming, without exaggeration, the whole
mankind's heritage.
HOW
TO PREPARE A TASTY PIZZA
It
is necessary to prepare the dough the night
before. mix half a kilo of flour, yeast
, salt and water , mix them altogether until
the dough will be smooth and elastic. Set
it in a bowl and let it rise for the night.
The day after, when the dough will be risen,
shape it into a disk stretching it as you
roll it out on a floured place.
Season it quickly with ingredients on top,
then put it in a wood-fired oven rolling
it during the baking so that the cooking
will be homogeneous.
The pizza will in any case be done when
the crust is browned and the toppings are
cooked; this takes 5 minutes in a wood-fired
oven.
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