Margherita Pizza Was Named After A Queen — Or Was It?

A regal tale for a common food

The reason so many people are drawn to the royal legend is that it sounds thrilling. Italy became a unified, independent nation in 1861, so a tale of a queen sampling peasant food adorned in the colors of the Italian flag fostered a sense of national pride. It's more plausible that chef Raffaele Esposito's Pizzeria Brandi popularized the name "Margherita" for commercial purposes without actually serving the queen. At that time, pizza was considered peasant fare, consisting of simple dough topped with a few ingredients. Recipes for pizza featuring basil, tomato, and mozzarella have been recorded since 1866, predating the royal narrative, which unfolded in the 1880s.

Regardless of the actual events, Margherita is the official name of the pizza in question. Italians are so committed to maintaining the recipe and its ingredients that the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (True Neapolitan Pizza Association) was established to enforce strict guidelines on how a Margherita should be made. If you truly want to pay tribute, you can order a pizza straight from Naples or check the AVPN's database to find restaurants in your area that have received the Neapolitan seal of approval. Thanks to the dedication of chefs and historians alike, we can always savor an authentic slice of Italian tradition.