The most frequently appearing scene in the story of Neapolitan pizza dates back to 1889.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The story goes that when King Umberto I of Italy and Queen Margherita visited Naples, Pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito was invited to the royal court and made pizza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is said that he presented the Queen with a pizza representing the red, white, and green colors of the Italian flag using tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, and that the Queen liked this pizza the most and named it after herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it is difficult to accept this story as historical fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
on pizza Margherita<\/strong>The name was actually given in the 1930s and 1940s, which is several decades apart from 1889 when the Queen visited Naples.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPizzeria Brandi, known as the origin of this anecdote, displays a letter of thanks allegedly sent by the Queen, but the possibility of it being a forgery has been consistently raised because the signature and royal seal differ from official records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are also records showing that pizza topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil existed in Naples much earlier than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, the fact that the Queen enjoyed this pizza is clear enough to be recorded in newspaper articles, but what we know now The legend of the birth of Margherita pizza<\/strong>The recent view is that it is closer to a story refined by commercial needs in the 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe history of Neapolitan pizza<\/h2>\n\n\n\npizza<\/span>The first document in which the word appeared dates back to a Latin record from the Gaeta region near Naples in 997.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, the current form of Neapolitan pizza\u2014that is, the method of quickly baking thinly rolled dough in a wood-fired oven\u2014is believed to have taken root around the early 18th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that time, Neapolitan pizza, which was sold for a few coins at small shops or street stalls, was a meal for the lower class of Naples, the so-called Lazaroni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
19th-century French writer Alexandre Dumas also mentioned this pizza while traveling in Naples, describing it as a commoner's food baked with whatever ingredients were available that day, such as oil, lard, cheese, tomatoes, and small fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a long time, this pizza could not shake off its class-based image, to the extent that there are records indicating that citizens of the middle class and above in Naples actually did not enjoy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tide turned in the 20th century, particularly after World War II. American soldiers stationed in Naples encountered this pizza and introduced it upon returning to their home countries, initiating its global spread. At the same time, Italian immigrants opened pizzerias across the United States, modifying the dish in their own unique ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paradoxically, as American-style pizza and frozen pizza swept the world, a sense of crisis grew in Naples regarding the need to preserve tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the background behind the formation of the Association of Authentic Neapolitan Pizza, commonly known as AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana), in 1984.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their efforts led to an official certification system by the City of Naples in 1997, the European Union Traditional Specialty Guarantee (TSG) designation in 2009, and in 2017 Pizzaiolo's Neapolitan Pizza Cooking Techniques<\/strong>It was listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the name [Name].<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt is said that even today, about 3,000 pizzaiolos in Naples are preserving this technique. It took less than 200 years for a snack for the common people to be recognized as the city's identity and a heritage of humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neapolitan Pizza Rules \u2014 AVPN's Requirements for 'Authentic' Neapolitan Pizza<\/h2>\n\n\n\nJust because a pizza is thin-crust and baked in a wood-fired oven does not mean it can be called Neapolitan pizza. AVPN has established quite specific conditions that must be met to use this name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, the oven must be a wood-fired type, and the internal temperature must be maintained between 430 and 485\u00b0C. In this hot oven, the time it takes for a pizza to cook is only 60 to 90 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is also a rule that the dough must be rolled out by hand only, without using a rolling pin or machine. The diameter of the pizza made in this way must not exceed 35 cm, the cornicione (the crust) must rise to a height of 1 to 2 cm, and the thickness of the dough in the center must not exceed 2 to 3 mm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ingredients are also strict. You must use 00 or 0 flour of the specified standard, San Marzano tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella or cow's milk Fior di Latte cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is interesting is that AVPN officially recognizes only two types of Neapolitan pizza: the Marinara, topped only with tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, and garlic, and the Margherita, which adds mozzarella and basil to these ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if other pizzas with fancy toppings are made in the Neapolitan style, strictly speaking, they are these two Traditional Neapolitan pizza<\/strong>It is essentially outside the category of.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCharacteristics of Neapolitan Pizza \u2013 Differences between Neapolitan Pizza, Roman Pizza, and American Pizza<\/h2>\n\n\n\nDifference in dough thickness and texture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Neapolitan pizza dough is made only with flour, water, salt, and yeast, and no oil is added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When this dough, which has a high water content, is kneaded, the proteins in the flour intertwine tightly to form a net structure, and as carbon dioxide bubbles produced during fermentation get trapped inside this net, the dough rises softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is also why the center of the dough, flattened by pressing with hands, becomes thin, and the gas produced by the yeast is naturally pushed to the edges, causing the cornicione to rise thickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, Rome's Tonda pizza, especially Scrokiaarella<\/span>The crispy style called [name] reduces the water and adds olive oil instead.As the net structure loosens, the dough does not shrink back and rolls out as thin as a sheet of paper, and when baked, it becomes crispy and crumbly instead of chewy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the contrary, Roman square slice pizza, altaglio, actually increases moisture content and undergoes a long low-temperature fermentation of 24 to 72 hours. Thanks to this, it produces a texture that is light inside with many holes and crispy on the bottom, distinct from both Naples and Roman tond\u00e0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
American Chicago-style deep dish adds butter to this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the amount of fat increases, the protein network in the dough becomes looser, creating a thick, crumbly crust like a pie rather than a crispy one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, behind the distinct textures of pizzas in each city lies a very simple yet clear principle: the combination of water and oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Differences in Baking Methods and Temperatures \u2014 The Secret to the Flavor Created by Ultra-High Temperature Ovens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n There is a reason why Neapolitan pizza insists on an exceptionally high temperature of nearly 480\u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When dough is placed in such a hot oven, the sugars and proteins on the surface react instantly to create dark brown spots, which are the leopard spots that bloom on the cornicione.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This spot is not burnt, but rather the place where the flavor is most concentrated, giving off a slightly bitter yet nutty aroma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The smoke components produced as the firewood burns also permeate the surface of the dough, adding a subtle smoky aroma and a unique woody scent that cannot be produced in an oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The key point is that this entire process is completed within an extremely short time of 60 to 90 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The surface instantly acquires color and scent from the intense heat, but the moisture inside the dough does not have time to escape, so it retains its moistness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is how the unique balance of Neapolitan pizza is perfected\u2014not the contrast of a crispy exterior and a moist interior, but one where the crust is fragrantly browned and the inside is completely soft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neapolitan Pizza's Minimalist Topping Philosophy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n There is a practical reason why Neapolitan pizza minimizes its ingredients, beyond mere preference. As previously discussed, Neapolitan pizza features a thin crust that is baked in just 90 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the moisture from the tomato sauce and cheese cannot evaporate in this short time, even a slight increase in toppings makes the dough soggy and causes it to sag under the weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, combinations completed with just two or three ingredients, like Marinara and Margherita, have naturally become established, but instead, attention is paid to the quality of those few ingredients to an almost sensitive degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
San Marzano tomatoes are rich in umami-producing components in the gelatinous tissue surrounding the seeds, so even a small amount adds a deep flavor to sauces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buffalo mozzarella, made from water buffalo milk, has a much stronger and more animalistic aroma than cow's milk mozzarella; thanks to this strong scent, the overall presence of the pizza becomes distinct even with simple ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, the restrained toppings of Neapolitan pizza are not an expression of simplicity, but rather an inevitability created by the cooking method of baking it thinly and quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\r\n\r\nitem<\/th> Neapolitan pizza<\/th> Roman pizza<\/th> American-style pizza<\/th><\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n \r\n\r\nDough mixture<\/td>\r\n High moisture, no oil<\/td>\r\n Reduce moisture and add olive oil (Tonda) \/ High moisture, long-term fermentation (Altaglio)<\/td>\r\n Contains large amounts of butter and oil (Chicago Deep Dish)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n \r\noven temperature<\/td>\r\n 430~485\u00b0C wood fire pit<\/td>\r\n Approximately 350\u00b0C<\/td>\r\n Electric and gas ovens, relatively low temperature<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n \r\nBaking time<\/td>\r\n 60~90 seconds<\/td>\r\n About 3 minutes<\/td>\r\n 15 minutes or more (deep dish)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n \r\nTexture<\/td>\r\n Soft and fluffy, fold to eat<\/td>\r\n Crispy and cracker-like (scrocchiarella)<\/td>\r\n Thin and crispy (New York) \/ Thick and crumbly (Chicago)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n \r\nSignature Topping<\/td>\r\n 2-3 types such as Marinara and Margherita<\/td>\r\n Relatively simple potatoes, anchovies, etc.<\/td>\r\n Various and abundant, such as pepperoni<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\n\n\n\nThe best way to enjoy Neapolitan pizza is actually simple. It is to eat it immediately after it comes out of the oven, while the cornicione is still crispy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because thin dough absorbs moisture from the toppings and quickly becomes soggy over time, Neapolitans consider it proper to cut the pizza into four pieces, fold it in half, and eat it by hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What made this pizza what it is today is the magic of 60 seconds created by water, flour, and a 480\u00b0C oven.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The outside, puffed up dark like leopard stripes, and the dough, fluffy and puffed up by the intense heat\u2026.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4554,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"0","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4546"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4601,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4546\/revisions\/4601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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