Pepperoni’s roots trace back to Italian-American immigrants in the early 20th century. They adapted spicy salami styles from Southern Italy, using available ingredients to create something new. The word itself comes from peperoni, Italian for “bell peppers”—a charming misnomer.
By the 1950s, pepperoni had become the uncontested king of American pizza toppings, now appearing on roughly 36% of all pizzas ordered nationwide. That’s a lot of savory, greasy, slightly spicy circles of … well, meat.
