HISTORY

In 1889, the famous pizzaiolo Raffaelle Esposito of Naples created a special pizza for Queen Margherita of Savoy. As pizza during this time was not a dish consumed by the privileged, Esposito wanted to honor the Queen by recreating the colors red, white and green of the Italian Flag. Queen Margherita enjoyed the pizza so much that the food became popular with all walks of life, and over a century later we know it throughout the world as the Margherita Pizza.

DEFINITION OF WORDS
(or La definizione di parole)

All you need to know about Italian Language

Cornicione

An Italian term for the outer puffy edge of the pizza, known as the “lip”

DOP

An abbreviation for Denominazione d’Origine Protetta, or “denomination of protected origin,” this mark from the European Community was created to indicate the authenticity of certain foods

Double Zero Flour

The most highly refined flour which is talcum-powder soft, perfect for pizza crust

Extensibility

The measurement of the dough’s capability to be shaped and stretched without breaking

Mozzarella di Bufala Campania

Specific cheese made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio

Yeast

A form of single-cell organism that converts sugars and starches into alcohol and carbon dioxide causing dough to rise

Parmigiano Reggiano

A salty, sharp-flavored and hard-grating cheese, which takes 10 to 24 months to prepare

Peel

The long paddle on which the pizza sits on while sliding into the oven

Proof

The final rise of the dough, before baking

San Marzano Tomatoes

Special, DOP-certified tomatoes grown on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius