From time to time, we reflect on the things in life that we are most thankful for. Our list includes some obvious items like family, fulfilling friendships, and career opportunities. But, there's one thing that’s also near the very top, and it's a little less expected: delivery. Being able to get our favorite dinners delivered right to our door at least once a week is a major blessing, and no, we don't think we're being dramatic. Seeing as we find this service to be so precious, we were very happy to learn the surprising story of the very first pizza delivery from Food & Wine.
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If you've ever thought that your dinner orders take too long, just be happy you weren't around when the first pizza delivery took place because it happened before cars were invented. Surprising right? But it's true, the first pizza delivery took place in 1889, and it was a queen who placed the order. According to Food & Wine, back then, pizza was only eaten by commoners. Because it was cheap, and made and eaten quickly, nobility tended to turn up their noses at it. Their loss. But, Queen Margherita, the first queen of a newly united Italy, changed all that.
An apparently well-known legend says that Queen Margherita and her husband King Umberto stopped in Naples while on a trip. The Queen was sick of eating all the nice, elaborate meals while traveling, which makes sense if you've ever come home from a food-centric vacation and all you want is a greasy cheeseburger from the diner down the street. So, she requested some food that the locals eat, and since she was in Naples, that meant pizza.
The Queen's posse called upon the best pizza chef in the area Raffaele Esposito, who has become known as the father of modern pizza, and he was told he must deliver some pizza to the Queen's royal chambers. Of course, you can't say no to a queen so Queen Margherita got her pizza without having to lift a finger, and that was the first recorded pizza delivery.
What a historic night. So, now we know that when we're giving thanks for the best things in our lives, we should make sure to give a shout out to Raffaele Esposito. He did a lot for us pizza lovers.