What is the Difference Between Margherita and Neapolitan Pizza

Margherita and Neapolitan pizza are two types of pizzas that most people associate together because they both come from Naples and share the same traditional dough and cooking style. However, they are not exactly the same.

What is the difference between Margherita and Neapolitan pizza? Neapolitan pizza refers to the overall style of pizza from Naples, while Margherita is just one specific type of Neapolitan pizza.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Margherita Pizza
     – Definition, Features
2. What is Neapolitan Pizza
     – Definition, Features
3. Similarities Between Margherita and Neapolitan Pizza
     – Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Margherita and Neapolitan Pizza
     – Comparison of Key Differences
5. FAQ: Margherita and Neapolitan Pizza
     – Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Key Terms

Margherita Pizza, Neapolitan Pizza

What is Margherita Pizza

Margherita pizza is a simple and classic Italian pizza made with just a few fresh ingredients. It is round in shape with a soft, raised outer edge called the cornicione. The topping is what makes it special. It uses crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, and extra virgin olive oil. 

The dough is made from flour, water, salt, and yeast, and is stretched by hand until it forms a thin base with a puffy outer crust. After the dough is shaped, it is topped and then baked in a very hot oven, traditionally a wood-fired brick oven, which gives the pizza its soft center and slightly crispy crust.

According to legend, this pizza was created in 1889 in Naples by a pizzaiolo (pizza maker) named Raffaele Esposito. He supposedly made it to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy, who was visiting the city. She liked the version with tomato, mozzarella, and basil the most, and it was later named Pizza Margherita in her honor.

What is Neapolitan Pizza

Neapolitan pizza (or pizza napoletana) is the original style of pizza that comes from Naples, Italy. It is known for its soft, thin base with a puffy, airy crust around the edges. Unlike other thicker or crunchy pizzas, Neapolitan pizza is light, tender, and meant to be eaten fresh out of the oven.

What makes this pizza special is the quality of its ingredients. Traditional Neapolitan pizza uses San Marzano tomatoes or special tomatoes grown near Mount Vesuvius and fresh mozzarella, usually buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte. Moreover, it is made with a simple dough made only with flour, yeast, salt, and water. There is no oil or sugar added.

The dough is kneaded by hand and stretched gently without using a rolling pin. It must be very thin in the middle, about the thickness of a credit card, and baked in a very hot wood-fired oven at about 485°C (905°F) for just 60–90 seconds. This fast, intense cooking gives it a soft center, slightly charred crust, and delicious aroma.

Neapolitan pizza is so important to Italian food culture that it is officially recognized in the European Union and the United Kingdom as a traditional specialty product. The craft of making it has even been added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.

Similarities Between Margherita and Neapolitan Pizza

1. Both Margherita and Neapolitan pizzas use soft, thin dough with a puffy edge (cornicione).
2. They are traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven.
3. Both follow the same dough recipe (water, flour, yeast, and salt only).
4. They use fresh, high-quality ingredients.

Difference Between Margherita and Neapolitan Pizza

Definition

• Neapolitan pizza is a pizza style from Naples, whereas Margherita is one specific type of Neapolitan pizza.

Ingredients

• Neapolitan pizza can have different toppings (e.g., Marinara, Margherita, etc.), whereas Margherita pizza has a fixed topping: tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil.

Nature

• Neapolitan refers to the method, i.e., how the dough is made, stretched, and baked. Meanwhile, margherita refers to the recipe, i.e., the specific combination of toppings.

FAQ: Margherita and Neapolitan Pizza

1. Are Margherita and Neapolitan pizza the same?

Neapolitan is the style of pizza, and Margherita is one type of Neapolitan pizza. So all Margherita pizzas are Neapolitan, but not all Neapolitan pizzas are Margherita.

2. What makes a Neapolitan pizza different?

A Neapolitan pizza is different because it uses a simple dough made with 00 flour that is fermented for 24–48 hours, topped with San Marzano tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, and then cooked very quickly in a hot wood-fired oven, which gives it a soft base and puffy crust.

3. What’s the difference between pizza and Margherita pizza?

The main difference is that pizza is a general term for any kind of pizza with any toppings, while Margherita pizza is a specific kind made with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil.

4. Is Neapolitan pizza chewy or crispy?

Neapolitan pizza is mostly soft and chewy, especially in the center, with a light and slightly crispy edge from the wood-fired oven.

5. Are Neapolitan pizzas healthier?

Yes, Neapolitan pizzas are generally healthier because they use simple, fresh ingredients and a thin base, so they are lighter and lower in processed toppings compared to many other pizzas.

Reference:

1. “Pizza Margherita.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.

2. “Neapolitan pizza.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Neapolitan pizza at Trappica (48701940197)” By Bex Walton from London, England – Neapolitan pizza at Trappica (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia

2. “Pizza Margherita Cut in Four” (CC0) via Pexels