Did you know that 350 slices of pizza are eaten every second in the United States? 252 million pounds of pepperoni are consumed in a year, and Americans, on average, eat 46 slices of pizza a year.
Did you know that Pizza is not always circular? It Italy, its country of origin, it is generally baked in rectangular trays, in a fire oven with a wide variety of toppings including french fries, seafood and even hot dogs.
In 2009, the European Union ruled to protect Naples' signature Neapolitan pizza as part of their cultural heritage. Anyone who wants to advertise and serve Neapolitan pizza as "real" must now follow very strict guidelines and standards for preparation and ingredients.
While there is variety within the Neapolitan pizza style, there are a set of guidelines presented by the "Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana," a non-profit established to preserve the true Neapolitan style. Pizza Margherita is a well-known example of Neapolitan pizza.
The word pizza first appeared in a Latin text from the Italian town of Gaeta in 997 AD. The text stated that a tenant of a certain property was supposed to give the bishop of Gaeta “duodecim pizze,” or twelve pizzas, every Christmas day, and another twelve on Easter Sunday.