Pepperoni Pizza Day

Pepperoni pizza has become the standard pizza for people all over the world. In fact, it stands apart as the singularly most ordered type of pizza on the entire planet.

Whether buying pizza for a birthday party or a day at the office, pretty much everyone knows that they can be guaranteed a positive response by buying one topped with pepperoni.

The pizza is believed to have first been developed in Italy in 1889 by Raffaele Esposito, though others claim that the first one was sold in 1738 in Naples, Italy.

Pepperoni is one of many cased meats (like salami, but spicier) that likely traces its origins back to Italian immigrants to New York City in the early 1900s.

At least, the first known mention of pepperoni is when they began appearing in delis and at pizzerias all throughout the city, made from a mix of beef and pork and some added spices (specifically peppers–which is where the name was derived from).

With a finer grain than most Italian meats, pepperoni is softer, which makes it a favorite for putting on top of pizza. It wasn't until the 1950s that pizza became a widespread dish in the United States.

The first mention of pizza in the US was in a New York Times article that called it "a pie popular in Southern Italy". And, even then, it was continuing to develop flavor over time.

One of the best developments, of course, was the addition of pepperoni. And it has grown into an American icon ever since.