Raffaele Esposito

Common card · No. 459184

Raffaele Esposito (Italian: [raffaˈɛːle eˈspɔːzito]) was an Italian chef and owner of a tavern in Naples called Pizzeria di Pietro e basta così (lit. 'Pietro's Pizzeria and that's enough') in the 19th century that had been founded in 1780 by Pietro Colicchio. Esposito is often credited for popularizing modern day pizza. In 1889, pizza had not yet become a popular or well-known dish and was typically eaten by poor people as a way to utilize various ingredients that would otherwise be wasted. At that time, Esposito was considered the premier pizzaiolo (lit. 'pizza maker') in the city of Naples. According to a popular (but questioned) legend, Esposito was requested to prepare a pizza for Queen Margherita of Savoy, who had traveled to Naples with King Umberto I. Esposito and his wife were admitted to the royal kitchens to prepare this dish as he saw fit. Deeming the traditional garlic topping to be unfit for the royal palate, Esposito instead prepared three different pizzas, the last of which...

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