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History of Pizza Part #2
The tomato was first believed to be poisonous
(as some other fruits of the nightshade family are), when it came to Europe
in the 16th century. However, pizza is liked by most men and by the late18th
century even the poor ofthe area around Naples added it as an ingredientto
their yeast-based flatbread, and the dish gained in popularity. Pizzabecame
a tourist attraction,andvisitors to Naples ventured into the poorerareas
of the city to trythe localspecialty.
The first dynasties of Neapolitan pizza makers (Italian: pizzaioli) originate
in these years: modern pizza is attributed to baker Raffaele Esposito ofNaples
in the Italian region of Campania. In 1889 Esposito, working in thepizzeria
"Pietro... e basta così" (literally "Peter... and that'senough", established
in 1890 and still operating under the name "PizzeriaBrandi"), baked a special
pizza for the visit of the King Umberto I and QueenMargherita of Savoy. The
pizza was very patriotic in its evocation of theItalian flag with its colors
of green (basil leaves), white (mozzarella),and red (tomatoes), and was named
Pizza Margherita in honor of the Queen.This set the standard by which today's
pizza evolved and spread worldwide.
Until about 1830, pizza was sold from open-air stands and street vendorsout
of pizza bakeries. The world's first true pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba,
opened in Naples in that period.
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