Stop anyone in the street and ask them for the first Italian word that comes to mind and probably they will say ‘Pizza’, Spaghetti or Cappuccino.
Pizza has been one of Italy’s biggest exports and a dish that every Italian should be proud of.
The most popular pizza is the Margherita.
Ever wondered were the name comes from?

In 1889 pizza chef Raffaele Esposito from Naples was asked by Queen Margherita to present some pizzas for her to try.

Three pizzas were presented to her majesty:
1. Pizza alla Mastunicola-a pizza base with pork lard ,cheese and fresh basil leaves. This was a classic of the time dating back to 1600.
2. Pizza alla Marinara-tomato ,garlic .olive oil and oregano
3. Pizza Margherita-tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil.

The choice of toppings was new and stylish for the period, but more importantly the colours on the pizza symbolized the red, white and green of the Italian flag that was the pride of a newly united Italy.
Pizza in those days was a regional dish enjoyed by the peasants of Naples. The Queens approval elevated this peasant dish to new hights. Pizza became popular amongst all the classes and more importantly it became a dish adopted throughout Italy’s many culinary regions.
Italian immigrants would make themselves pizza in their new homes abroad and eventually sold the pizzas ….The rest is history and of great cultural significance.