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Karisma Kapoor’s food choices are as versatile as the roles she picked back in the 90s. For every Coolie No. 1 and Judwaa, there were also Fiza and Zubeidaa. For every Tujhko mirchi lagi toh main kya karun, there was a Dheeme dheeme gaaoon. Her social media accounts are a fun window into her vibrant life, and we have noticed more often than not that food occupies a central role in her life. She is a Kapoor after all. The family has always been known for its larger-than-life personas and heartier than usual appetites.
Karisma was found beating the Monday blues by treating herself to what seemed like a gorgeous margherita pizza recently. A true test of how good a pizza place is, a margherita pizza can make or break an eatery’s reputation. But did you know why a margherita pizza is called a Margherita pizza?
It is generally accepted that the Pizza Margherita is the archetypal Neapolitan pizza. This dish is now enjoyed all over the globe, but it is said to have originated in a small alley in Naples.
The tale goes that Raffaele Esposito, a chef at the Pizzeria Brandi, invented the pizza Margherita in 1889 as a tribute to Italy's unification. The toppings of basil, mozzarella, and tomato were thought to symbolize the colors of the Italian flag, with the pizza named after the Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. A plaque was unveiled near the Pizzeria Brandi in 1989 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the pizza's invention. This plaque serves as a reminder of the site's status as the birthplace of the pizza Margherita.
Even though this narrative might be apocryphal, it is probable that Pizzeria Brandi did in fact serve the pizza. The combination of the three toppings had been popular in Naples for many years and was described in an 1866 book. It is possible that the name "Margherita" was given to the pizza at the Pizzeria Brandi, whereas other sources claim the name may have come from the pattern of mozzarella slices that resemble the petals of a daisy (margherita in Italian).
In fact, there are significant differences between northern and southern Italian margherita pizzas. In the north, pizzas have thin, brittle crusts, whereas in the south, the crust is thin and pliable. The ovens used for baking pizza also vary from region to region. In the south, pizzas are cooked in wood-fired ovens at extremely high temperatures (around 500 °C) for about 90 seconds, whereas in the north, electric ovens, set at a lower temperature (320 °C), are used and the baking time is much longer (approximately 5 minutes). Generally, pizzas are sold as a single serving size all over Italy, but in Rome and Sicily, pizza al taglio ("by the cut") is popular, where pizzas are baked in large pans with a variety of toppings and then sold in long rectangles.
While we can’t all, of course, waltz off to Naples to eat the margherita pizza where it was invented, we can do what Karisma did and bite into a slice in Mumbai.
Here are our top three favorite places in Mumbai to get a great pizza:
1. Gustoso – it’s the bread that makes the pizza here. Just the right amount of chewy and fresh mozzarella. What’s not to like? We loved their Kemps Corner outlet in its original avatar and like it even more in the more recent refurbishment. And for the burbies, there is also a Bandra avatar. Baked in woodfire ovens, these are pizzas you will be thinking of for a long time.
2. Queen Margherita’s pizzeria, Malad – Malad is not the first name that comes to mind when we think of great pizzas, and yet, here we are, finding ourselves every so often traveling to Malad to eat a pizza fresh from the oven. Try it; you won’t be disappointed.
3. Americano, Kala Ghoda, Fort – We don’t really need too many reasons to go to Americano. You can find us running there at the drop of a hat, but if there is a pizza craving whist all the way down south, there is simply no better place than Americano. What’s even better than a pizza there? Pairing that with a cocktail. Try their Mezcal ones. The smokiness goes perfectly with their perfect pizza.
