Here’s a fun fact: pepperoni is an American invention. It’s not Italian. The word itself is derived from the Italian peperoni (meaning “bell peppers”), but the cured, spicy sausage we love was created by Italian-American butchers in the early 20th century.
It was a way to use up leftover cuts of pork and beef, seasoned with paprika and chili flakes to mimic the flavors of Southern Italian salami. The boom came after World War II, when pizza became a national obsession and demand skyrocketed.
