The History of Pepperoni

While it may seem Italian in origin, pepperoni was actually created in America. While the exact origins are still a mystery, we know that the first recorded mention of pepperoni dates back to 1919 in New York City. When Italian Americans came to the United States, many opened butcher shops in the New York City area. These shops began to see some success in the early 20th century. However, the proprietors struggled to access the same ingredients that they used to make their products back home in Italy. So they combined centuries-old Italian sausage-making techniques from the Old World with ingredients like smoked paprika and chili spices that were more readily available in America, leading to the creation of pepperoni. The name itself is derived from the Italian word for bell pepper, peperone. At first, pepperoni was mostly used in Italian deli sandwiches, but beginning in the 1950s (when pizza became a widespread phenomenon in the U.S.), it became a popular topping for pizza. Notably, pepperoni pizza is a distinctly American dish — outside of popular tourist areas in Italy such as Rome, it is virtually impossible to get; the closest Italian equivalent is a hot salami called salame picante. Today, pepperoni remains massively popular in the United States and accounts for over a third of all pizza orders in the country.