As we mentioned earlier, a Latin document found in Gaeta, Italy details evidence that the first pizzeria may have been established far earlier than we have been led to believe.
Most pizza fanatics will be familiar with the story of Raffaele Esposito, who is an important figure in the history of pizza. He made the first pizza as we know them today in Naples, Italy in the late 1800s to celebrate a visit by Queen Margherita – whose name, although frequently associated with Italy, is in fact, Neapolitan.
Esposito crafted an open pie that was slathered in tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil which may well closely resemble the offering we see in pizzerias all over the world, including one of the American pizza capitals of the world – New York City.
The ingredients he used were said to be symbolic of the Italian flag and of course, are staples of Italian food.
Of course, we now see many Pizza Margherita recipes, and we can thank the good queen for passing her approval of the dish, which earned it its name.
However, Sig Nocca, who studied the ancient document, explained that the son of a feudal lord used pizza as a bargaining tool with a local bishop. What is called pizza today may not have been the type of food that was referred to here, however.