Authentic Neapolitan pizza has its roots in the southern regions of Italy, where it began as a simple, humble meal for urban workers. In the the 1700s and 1800s, Naples was a crowded metropolis teeming with day laborers who demanded nourishing street fare. Flatbreads topped with tomatoes, garlic, salt, and olive oil were already widely sold in markets. The New World fruit, which had been brought over from the New World, were initially feared as poisonous, yet gradually gained acceptance in Southern Italian cuisine.

The defining moment arrived in 1889 when a renowned street chef named the famed baker Raffaele crafted a special pie to honor the visiting queen. He carefully selected red tomatoes, white cheese, and vegas108 daftar green herbs to replicate the national tricolor. This now-iconic creation, now known as the Margherita pizza, exploded in popularity and catapulted it to cultural prominence, turning a poor man’s bread into a a cherished cultural emblem. Though earlier versions may have existed, Esposito’s was the first to be formally recorded, granting it enduring legacy.

In the years that followed, the the traditional method was carefully standardized. Authentic Neapolitan pizza demands exact components: high-protein Italian wheat flour, plump tomatoes grown near Vesuvius, creamy cheese from water buffalo, natural mineral salt, and natural yeast. The dough is gently pulled by hand, never flattened with rollers, and baked in a wood-fired oven at temperatures exceeding 900°F, for a mere minute or less. This unique baking method produces a crust with perfectly caramelized edges, a soft, airy interior, and a light, elastic texture.

In 2017, the global cultural authority designated the craft of traditional pizza-making as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, celebrating the deep tradition, the refined technique, and the collective pride embedded in its creation. While global adaptations have multiplied worldwide—with gas ovens and electric grids—the the authentic tradition remains faithfully preserved to its historical roots and artisanal methods. To this day, in Naples, small pizzerie run by descendants take deep reverence in adhering to time-honored methods, ensuring that the legacy of Raffaele Esposito endures.