Francis de Bourcard also mentions it in his Usi e Costumi di Napoli, an author who also seems to mention a kind of pizza margherita ante litteram: "...they are covered with grated cheese and seasoned with lard, and a few basil leaves are placed on top. Thin slices of mozzarella cheese are added."
The term pizzaiolo, also present in the 1922 Zingaretti as "one who makes and sells pizzas in Naples," was introduced in 1884, and the first attempts to export this gastronomic product outside its city of origin were also born. In fact, Matilde Serao tells how a Neapolitan industrialist tried to open a pizzeria in Rome, but failed miserably after a positive start: outside of Naples, pizza continued to seem completely out of place.
It is from June 1889 that legend has it how chef Raffaele Esposito, owner of the Brandi pizzeria, proposed the first version of the Margherita pizza to Umberto I di's wife, Margherita di Savoia. Her favorite was the one that took its name, which was the pizza topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil designed to represent the tricolor as well.
The other pizzas cooked on that occasion were: the white one with lard, basil and pepper, called Mastu Nicolala tomato, anchovies, garlic, oregano and oil fried calzone with ricotta and cicoli.