Pizza Margherita: popular history and nutritional profile

The forgotten genesis: from the alleys of Naples to the royal tricolor

The origins of pizza lie in the popular traditions of the city of  Naples, where already in the 18th century focaccia breads seasoned with tomato and simple ingredients were prepared and sold on the streets to the common people (Helstosky, 2008). The spread of tomato in Neapolitan culinary preparations was in fact consolidated only after the second half of the eighteenth century, when this ingredient, initially viewed with suspicion, definitively conquered Neapolitan tables (Cesari, 2023).

According to the most widespread legend, in  1889 the pizza maker Raffaele Esposito, owner of the historic pizzeria ‘Pietro il Pizzaiolo’ (later became Pizzeria Brandi), was called to the Capodimonte Royal Palace to create a pizza in honor of the visit of Queen Margherita of Savoy. He presented three versions; the one based on tomato, mozzarella e basil – the colors of the Italian flag – was particularly appreciated by the sovereign, thus giving its name to the ‘Margherita’ pizza.

It is important to note that later historical studies suggest that pizzas with similar ingredients were already widespread in Naples before that date, and that the story related to the Queen may have elements of popular myth consolidated in the 20th century for commercial and identity purposes (Mattozzi, 2009). Already Alexandre Dumas, visiting Naples in 1835, described pizzas topped with tomato, mozzarella and basil in his travel chronicles.

Today the  Neapolitan pizza, with the Margherita among its most famous expressions, is recognized as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) by the European Union and the art of the Neapolitan pizza maker has been inscribed since 2017 in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

Science of fermentation: the secret of digestibility

The classic ingredients of Margherita pizza are few and of high quality, following the principles of  Mediterranean cuisine:

• dough: soft wheat flour (type '00' or '0'), water, sea salt and brewer's yeast, or sourdough. The natural fermentation with sourdough as long as possible, up to 48-72 hours, significantly improves the digestibility of the dough (Rizzello et al., 2019; Terrazas-Avila et al., 2024);

• tomato: generally peeled San Marzano DOP tomatoes, blended or hand-crushed for the sauce, rich in lycopene, a carotenoid with antioxidant properties (Story et al., 2010);

• mozzarella: preferably Campanian fior di latte or Campanian buffalo mozzarella DOP, cut into cubes or slices, a source of high biological value proteins and bioavailable calcium;

• extra virgin olive oil: preferably added after cooking, to preserve heat-sensitive phenolic compounds and avoid surpassing the ‘smoke point’ (Servili et al., 2014);

• fresh basil: the indispensable note of color, as well as the unmistakable aroma of the aromatic herb protagonist of Genovese pesto.

The  baking traditionally takes place in a wood-fired oven at very high temperature (430-480°C) for 60-90 seconds, a method that ensures the characteristic alveolated crust and the rapid coagulation of mozzarella proteins, preserving its internal moisture.

The role of pizza in the Mediterranean diet: balance and conviviality

According to the official food composition tables published by CREA – Food and Nutrition, 100 grams of  Neapolitan Margherita pizza PGI provide on average:

• energy: 245 kcal;

• carbohydrates: 27.4 g (of which sugars 0.9 g);

• proteins: 10.7 g;

• fats: 9.3 g (of which saturated 4.9 g);

• dietary fiber: 2.7 g;

• Salt: 1.6 g.

An average Margherita pizza (about 462 g, according to analyses conducted by CREA) therefore provides approximately 1064 kcal. It is important to consider that these values can vary significantly depending on the amounts of mozzarella, olive oil, salt, and the size of the pizza.

Theglycemic index is medium, with an indicative estimate between 60 and 80, with a favorable influence of prolonged natural fermentation and the presence of mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil, which slow down carbohydrate absorption (Scazzina et al., 2013).

The use of wholemeal or semi-wholemeal flours can increase the content of fiber and micronutrients, improving the overall nutritional profile.

Conclusions

The Margherita is a banner of Italian identity, but also proof of how scientific innovation can serve tradition. When long fermentation meets the excellence of PDO ingredients, pizza ceases to be ‘fast food’ and returns to its origins: a digestible and nutritious food. Including it in the weekly diet is therefore possible, under the banner of Mediterranean well-being and healthy conviviality (De la Torre-Moral et al., 2021).

Editorial staff of GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade)

Credit cover: Dario Dongo

References

• Cesari, Luca (2023). History of pizza. From Naples to Hollywood. ISBN-13: 978-
  8842830665. Il Saggiatore

• CREA – Council for agricultural research and analysis of agricultural economics. (2023).  Food composition tables. Neapolitan Margherita Pizza STG. CREA.  https://www.alimentinutrizione.it/tabelle-nutrizionali/PC0001

• De la Torre-Moral et al. (2021). Family Meals, Conviviality, and the Mediterranean Diet among Families with Adolescents. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 18:2499, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052499

• Helstosky, C. (2008). Pizza. A Global History. ISBN-13: 978-1861893918. Reaktion Books.

• Mattozzi, A. (2009).  Inventing the pizzeria: A history of pizza making in Naples. ISBN-13: 978-1472586179. Bloomsbury Academic.

• Rizzello, C. G., Portincasa, P., Montemurro, M., Di Palo, D. M., Lorusso, M. P., De Angelis, M., Bonfrate, L., Genot, B., & Gobbetti, M. (2019). Sourdough Fermented Breads are More Digestible than Those Started with Baker’s Yeast Alone: An In Vivo Challenge Dissecting Distinct Gastrointestinal Responses.  Nutrients, 11(12), 2954. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11122954

• Scazzina, F., Siebenhandl-Ehn, S., & Pellegrini, N. (2013). The effect of dietary fibre on reducing the glycaemic index of bread.  The British journal of nutrition, 109(7), 1163–1174. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114513000032

• Terrazas-Avila, P., Palma-Rodríguez, H. M., Navarro-Cortez, R. O., Hernández-Uribe, J. P., Piloni-Martini, J., & Vargas-Torres, A. (2024). The effects of fermentation time on sourdough bread: An analysis of texture profile, starch digestion rate, and protein hydrolysis rate.  Journal of texture studies, 55(2), e12831. https://doi.org/10.1111/jtxs.12831