Pepperoni Palooza: The Spicy Scoop

15 Sizzling Facts about American's Favorite Pizza Topping

Pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping! From its humble beginnings in the Italian immigrant community in America to its exciting delivery aboard a space station, you can pepperoni everywhere you find pizzas. We’ve gathered the juiciest fun facts, with record-breakers, quirky global pepperoni variations, and pepperoni stats. Enjoy these tasty trivia tidbits about all things pepperoni!

  1. Why is it called pepperoni? The name comes from the Italian word “peperoni,” the plural of “peperone” which means bell pepper. In Italy, it is called “salame piccante.”

  2. Pepperoni didn’t originate in Italy. Italian immigrants to America created it around 1919.

  3. The first mention of pepperoni was in the immigrant community of New York City.

  4. Before the 1950s, pepperoni pizza was considered an ethnic Italian dish.

  5. The red color in pepperoni comes from the addition of paprika.

  6. Pepperoni used to be considered a fall and winter food.

  7. After cheese, pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping in the United States.

  8. More frozen pizzas are sold with pepperoni than any other topping.

  9. In 1994, when digital ordering came online in the early days of the internet, the first pizza ordered was a pepperoni and mushroom pizza with extra cheese.

  10. National Pepperoni Day is September 20th each year. Don’t let the day pass without getting a slice of your favorite pepperoni combination.

  11. The meat in pepperoni is typically pork and beef.

  12. Americans consume over 250 million pounds of pepperoni each year.

  13. Pepperoni is made from finely ground meat. Its cousin salami uses a slightly coarser ground meat (plus other spices).

  14. Pepperoni comes in several varieties, including lay-flat pepperoni, cup pepperoni, and char pepperoni. Each acts differently in the oven.

  15. About 36% of people add pepperoni to their order when getting delivery or takeout pizza.