Neapolitan pizza is a symbol of the city of Naples all over the world. Everyone likes it and everyone is interested in understanding how is made the actual pizza of Naples.
Here are some fun facts and tips to learn more about Neapolitan pizza.
Fun facts about Neapolitan pizza
- There are only 3 types of Neapolitan pizza. The Italian Ministry of Culture recognizes these three types of pizza:
Marinara, prepared simply with tomato sauce, oregano, garlic, and olive oil;
Margherita, with tomato sauce, sliced mozzarella or fior di Latte cheese and fresh basil leaves;
Margherita Extra, similar to Margherita but instead of mozzarella, and buffalo mozzarella DOP.
- Even the way ingredients are processed must meet certain specific rules in order to make pizza recognized as authentic and genuine.
- The Neapolitan pizza should be cooked exclusively in a wood-fired oven. In fact, by baking pizza in a wood-fired oven, the flame allows the crust to rise. Otherwise, the pizza may come out flat.
- Pizza was one of the first recipes using tomatoes in Italy. Before 1700, tomatoes had not yet been imported. When tomatoes have been imported, at first people were skeptical and avoided eating them as they thought they were poisonous. The poor inhabitants of Naples began to use tomatoes on top of the flatbread. In a short time, the number of people who appreciated this combination grew more and more!
- Pizza Margherita is a tribute to the Italian flag. History has it that baker Raffaele Esposito prepared a pizza for the King and Queen in 1889 with the colors of the Italian flag. Tomatoes for the red, mozzarella for the white, and basil leaves for the green. This is how the famous pizza Margherita was invented!