Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s one of the most popular supplies items in the world. This cheesy pie is loved by many, partly considering of how customizable it is; pizza can be crafted to fit each individual pallet.
Let’s take a squint at the history and incubation of this succulent dish, from Ancient Greece to the modern day. Whether you’re looking for trivia questions for game night or are just curious well-nigh this insanely popular meal, these interesting facts well-nigh pizza might just inspire you… to go and order a pizza.
39 Interesting Facts Well-nigh Pizzas
Want to know what variegated countries put on top of their pizzas? Or the variegated styles you can order? Let’s swoop into the top mouthwatering facts well-nigh pizza.
1) Pizza Was Invented in Naples, Italy
The warmed-over Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans ate flatbread with toppings, similar to focaccia.
But it’s believed that the modern pizza (consisting of flatbread, sauce, and cheese) that we know and love today was invented in Naples, Italy, in the 18th century.
2) The First Ever Pizzeria Opened in Naples, Italy
Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba is the world’s first documented pizzeria. It was established in 1738 as a stand for peddlers, and then in 1830, it opened its doors for merchantry in the part-way of Port’Alba, Naples, Italy. It still operates to this day.
3) The First Pizzeria in the US Opened in New York City
Lombardi’s was the first pizzeria in the United States. It was opened by Italian immigrant Gennaro Lombardi in New York City in 1905. The restaurant still stands and is a minion staple in the city’s Italian dining scene. They specialize in thin-crust, coal-fired pizza.
4) Gennaro Lombardi Created the New York-Style Pizza
New York-style pizza is characterized by a thin husks with wide slices that are crispy on the outside yet worldly-wise to be folded and eaten on the go. This style began stuff sold at Lombardi’s in New York City in 1905. It’s one of America’s favorite pizza styles.
5) Napoleon-Style Pizza Is the OG Pizza Style
Napolean-style is the original style of pizza created in Naples, Italy. It’s made with simple ingredients, usually just tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
However, to be considered a true Napolean-style pizza, the tomatoes must either be San Marzano tomatoes or Pomodorino Vesuviano tomatoes. These two varieties grow on the volcanic plains south of Mount Vesuvius.
6) Sicilian-Style Pizza Is Square
Sicilian-style pizza originated in Sicily, Italy. It features a thick, square husks with pillowy dough.
It’s usually topped with onions, anchovies, tomatoes, and strong cheese, like caciocavallo, parmesan, or toma. Or, sometimes, the cheese is left off.
7) California-Style Pizza Is Famous for Its Unique Toppings
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California-style pizza is made using gourmet ingredients. It was created in the 1970s by Doughboy Ed LaDou. It later inspired the uniting restaurant California Pizza Kitchen, which opened in 1985.
For increasingly on the Golden State, trammels out these fun facts well-nigh California.
8) Chicago-Style Pizza Adds the Sauce Without the Cheese
Chicago-style pizza contains a squushy pizza wiring that’s usually 2 to 3 inches thick. The cheese and toppings go directly on top of the base, and lastly, the stocky tomato sauce. Since the dough is so thick, the tomato sauce goes on top to alimony the cheese from burning.
As you can imagine, this style of pizza is usually eaten with a fork and knife.
9) St. Louis-Style Pizza Has a Very Crispy Crust
St. Louis-style pizza has a thin, cracker-like husks that’s made without yeast. Due to its consistency, it’s usually cut into small rectangles shapes. It features cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, withal with your favorite toppings.
10) Detroit Style Pizza Has Ties to the Auto Industry
Detroit-style pizza was created in the 1940s and baked in a rectangular automotive parts pan, which paid homage to the city’s automotive roots.
It has a chewy, thick husks and is traditionally topped with a rich tomato sauce and Wisconsin brick cheese that’s placed all the way to the edges of the pan.
11) In the US, Pepperoni Is the Most Popular Pizza Topping
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Americans’ pizza topping of nomination is pepperoni, followed by mushrooms and uneaten cheese.
12) In Japan, Squid and Mayo Are Popular Pizza Toppings
In Japan, squid and Mayo Jaga (which is a combination of mayo, bacon, and potato) are pizza topping staples.
13) In France, Potatoes and Fresh Surf Are Enjoyed on Pizza
In France, you’ll see many pizzerias offering potatoes, fresh cream, bacon, and onion on pizza.
14) Anchovies Are the Least Popular Pizza Topping
Anchovies are the least popular pizza topping in America. According to a pizza survey conducted by YouGov, 61% of people voted anchovies as their least favorite topping. This was followed by eggplant, artichokes, broccoli, and pineapple.
15) The Margherita Pizza Was Named Without a Queen
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The Margherita pizza was named without Queen Margherita of Savoy in 1889. However, it’s debated exactly how the pizza got its name.
Some say that the queen’s favorite pizza toppings were mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Others say that it was created in honor of Italy’s unification and that the toppings of tomato, basil, and mozzarella represent the red, green, and white on the Italian flag.
16) Hawaiian Pizza Was Created in Canada, Not Hawaii
Hawaiian pizza is traditionally topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, pineapple, and sometimes bacon. Despite its name, it was created in Canada, not the state of Hawaii.
Greek immigrant and pizza shop owner Sam Panopoulos came up with the sweet and savory suffusion in 1962. It was a big hit and sooner spread all over North America.
17) Pineapple Is a Controversial Pizza Topping
Whether or not pineapple should go on pizza is a very controversial issue. In 2017, YouGov publically polled pizza eaters in the UK and found that 53% of Brits liked pineapple on their pizza, and 41% disliked the topping.
The pizza-ordering app, Slice, polled 34,000 people in the US and found that 54% disliked pineapple on pizza.
It seems like this pizza preference moreover depends on where you live. Hawaiians and Canadas seem to favor this fruity topping compared to Americans and Brits.
18) Mozzarella Is the Most Popular Pizza Cheese
Mozzarella is the most worldwide cheese to put on pizza. This is considering it melts well and doesn’t get oily or lumpy. But you can put all variegated types of cheese on pizza. Some of the other popular options are provolone, cheddar, parmesan, and fontina.
19) Pizza Sauce Can Be Very Healthy
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Pizza doesn’t have to be an unhealthy dish, and one of the pie’s star ingredients proves that. Classic tomato sauce is packed with vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and potassium. Tomatoes are moreover a major source of lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that can help lower the risk of unrepealable types of cancer.
20) Pizza Comes in Many Variegated Forms
Pizza doesn’t just come in a flat, unshut circular shape. A calzone is a folded-over pizza that’s baked with the sauce, cheese, and toppings inside it. Pizza rolls are bite-sized pizza pockets stuffed with cheese, sauce, and various toppings.
Pizza pinwheels roll the dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings up into a tube shape; it’s then sliced and baked.
21) Pizza Was Popularized in the US Without World War 2
Although pizza was eaten in the US prior to World War 2, it didn’t proceeds popularity until without US soldiers returned home from the war. It’s thought that the American soldiers who were stationed in Italy grew to love pizza and likely helped make the dish popular upon returning home.
22) Frozen Pizza Was Invented in the 1950s
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In 1950, Philadelphia native Joseph Bucci in Philadelphia created the first official patent for frozen pizza. He titled it “Method for Making Frozen Pizza.” However, his product wasn’t hugely successful or tasty. It was just a pizza wiring with sauce and cheese; toppings were optional. Many compared the taste to cardboard.
In the 1960s, married couple Rose and Jim Totino launched their frozen pizza brand, Totino’s. By the end of the decade, the name Totino’s had taken over the frozen pizza industry on a national level. This successful pizza trademark is still virtually today and misogynist in the freezer section of many grocery stores.
23) 350 Slices of Pizza Are Eaten Every Second
Americans love pizza–but who doesn’t? According to the National Association of Pizza, well-nigh 350 slices of pizza are consumed every second in the United States.
24) In the US, One Whole Month Is Dedicated to Pizza
October is national pizza month in the US. This month-long pizza observance has been prestigious since 1984. It was created by the pizzeria owner and publisher of Pizza Today magazine, Gerry Durnell. He chose October considering this was the month that the first issue of the magazine debuted.
25) Roughly 13% Of Americans Enjoy Pizza on Any Given Day
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted a survey on pizza consumption in the US. They found that virtually 13% of Americans weather-beaten 2 and over enjoyed pizza on any given day.
26) Pizza Is a Very Popular Supplies Nomination Among Men
According to the same pizza consumption survey conducted by the USDA, increasingly than 1 in 4 men weather-beaten 6-19 years eat pizza on any given day.
27) In the US, Halloween Is the Most Popular Day of the Year for Pizza
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As of 2021, Halloween (October 31st) is the most popular day in the United States to order pizza. This day is followed closely by Super Bowl Sunday, the day surpassing Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Eve.
28) Sunday Is the Most Popular Day of the Week to Order Pizza
The most popular day of the week to order pizza seems to transpiration each year, but currently Sunday is the most popular day to enjoy pizza, followed by Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday is the least popular pizza day.
29) 93% of Americans Indulge in Pizza Once a Month
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According to a survey by Mintel, it’s unscientific that 93% of Americans eat pizza at least once per month.
30) The World’s Largest Pizza Has a Title in the Guinness Book
The world’s largest pizza was created in Rome, Italy, in 2012. It had a surface zone of 13,580 feet. The pizza was named “Ottavia”, without the Roman Emperor. It’s listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
31) Domino’s Pizza Is the Most Popular Pizza Uniting in the World
As of 2017, the world’s most popular pizza uniting in terms of global sales is Domino’s Pizza. The visitor has increasingly than 17,000 pizza stores in 90 countries, and this number continues to grow.
32) The Founder of Domino’s Pizza Has a Stratum in Pizzerology
Tom Monaghan founded Domino’s Pizza in 1960. He started a merchantry management program tabbed “Domino’s College of Pizzerology”. Only himself and two other people hold a “Doctor of Pizzerology” degree.
33) Domino’s ‘30 Minutes or Less’ Pledge Was Subject to Several Lawsuits
In the 1980s, Domino’s Pizza came out with a guarantee to unhook pizza in 30 minutes or less, or it was free. The slogan was hugely successful and saw sales skyrocket. However, it moreover caused many car accidents as some believed it promoted unsafe driving.
In 1993, Jean Kinder sued Domino’s without stuff hit by a wordage driver. She won her specimen and was awarded $78 million in damages. Without this, Domino’s dropped their 30 minutes or less wordage promise.
34) Pizza Hut Is the World’s Second Most Popular Pizza Chain
Prior to 2017, Pizza Hut was the world’s most popular pizza uniting in terms of global sales. Today, they hold the number 2 spot. Although, they are the largest pizza visitor in terms of locations. There are currently over 18,000 Pizza Hut restaurants in increasingly than 100 countries.
35) Pizza Hut Once Put Out a Perfume
Pizza Hut Perfume was a limited edition fragrance released by Pizza Hut Canada to commemorate the company’s Canadian Facebook page reaching 100,000 fans. It smelled like freshly baked, hand-tossed dough.
36) The Most Expensive Pizza Financing $12,000
The most expensive pizza financing a staggering $12,000. It’s tabbed Louis XIII and was created by pizza master doughboy Renato Viola.
The dough takes 72 hours to prepare and is made from organic flour and pink river salt. It contains rare and expensive ingredients, like three variegated kinds of caviar, lobster from Norway, and seven types of cheese.
37) There’s a Movie With a Pizza Superhero
“Pizza Man” is an action/sci-fi movie that was released in 2011. It features Frankie Muniz, who plays a pizza deliveryman who acquires super strength without eating a genetically unsimilar tomato. He then has to wrestle a large corporation to save the world and get the girl of his dreams.
38) There’s a Pizza Museum in Philadelphia
Pizza Brain is the name of a museum in Philadelphia that contains the world’s largest hodgepodge of pizza memorabilia. It was certified in 2011 by the Guinness Book of World Records. It’s a one-stop shop for pizza fans as the museum moreover operates as a restaurant serving whole pizzas or pizza by the slice.
39) Las Vegas Hosts an Annual Pizza Expo
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An International Pizza Expo takes place each year in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s the world’s largest gathering of members from the pizza industry. Unfortunately, it’s not unshut to the public. You have to be in the pizza merchantry to attend.
