Every year, National Pizza Day is marked on February 9 and is relished by pizza lovers everywhere. Having the most demand worldwide, it is no surprise that this savory and versatile dish has a day dedicated to it.
Whether you are a plain pizza lover or like to load it with every meat known, these amazing facts will leave you stunned. In honor of this comfort favorite food, we have put together a list to feed your cravings even more.
Fascinating Facts About Pizza
If you believe in love at first SLICE, Let’s take a read of the 26 fascinating facts that will urge you to grab a slice and keep craving for more.
1. Pizza was considered a cheaper food.
Researchers suggested that tomatoes were considered a poisonous vegetable in the early 1500s. As a result, poverty-driven people were stuck with it and used it on top of the dough along with cheese for a quick meal. For this reason, pizza was considered to be a cheaper food.
2. Pizza Hut is one of the most popular pizzerias among others.
Pizza Hut has made its mark to be one of the best and popular fast-food restaurants globally.
3. More than a third of the pizza orders want their pizza with pepperoni topping.
Although pizza is the invention of Italians, the pepperoni topping is entirely the product of Americans. The first evidence of pepperoni as a pizza topping was found in the 1950s.
4. The best cheese for pizza is Mozzarella.
After rigorous testing by the researchers, Mozarella is a winner when we talk about pizza cheese and is the best way to top your pie.
5. The first-ever pizza was Margherita.
In 1889, upon a visit to Naples, Queen Margherita tried their local dish. The pizza served was topped with cheese, basil, and tomatoes. Hence, it was named Margherita.
6. Each year, over 5 billion pizzas are sold worldwide.
An estimation of over 5 billion pizzas is sold worldwide each year, of which 3 billion are sold in the U.S. alone.
7. October has been celebrated as National Pizza month since 1987.
Just not to confuse, February 9 is the National Pizza Day and October is celebrated as a National Pizza Month each year. October is National Pizza Month and has been celebrated in the U.S. since 1987.
8. Thin crust pizza is the most preferred crust worldwide.
Regular thin crust pizza is the most popular and preferred form of crust. The statistics show that around 61% of the population prefer thin crust over any form of dough. The other 14% population prefer deep dish and 11% prefer extra thin crust.
8. Men are more likely to order meat pizza as opposed to women.
Men are likely to consume double the meat as compared to women. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to be vegetarian and eat significantly less meat. So, the percentage of men preferring meat options for pizza outperforms women. In general, 62% of men prefer meat toppings as opposed to 38% who prefer only vegetables.
9. Saturday night is the top pizza night.
Saturday is the most famous night for eating pizza. It is the star of the night as no one likes to cook on a Saturday eve.
10. Pizza in Italy wasn’t always round.
Pizza having origin from Italy was not always round. These flatbreads were Grandma-style pizza with a much thinner profile, and Sicilian Pizza having a thicker crust but cooked in a square pan. These were topped with Romano cheese instead of mozzarella.
11. The outer edge of the pizza is called the Cornicione.
The technical term used for the edge of the pizza dough is called the Cornicione, also referred to as End Crust.
12. Hawaiian pizza is the invention of Canada.
The Hawaiian Pizza was created by a Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos, in Canada in 1962.
13. Deep-fried pizza is really a thing.
In Scotland, pizza is prepared by deep-frying instead of baking. The whole pizza including the dough and toppings are deep-fried to make a delectable treat.
14. The world record for the largest pizza is 122 feet, 8 inches in diameter.
This enormous pizza pie was prepared in Norwood, South Africa on December 8, 1990.
15. The popular pizza chain, Pizza Hut once delivered to the international space station.
Pizza literally went out of this world back in 2001. Pizza Hut paid the Russian Space Agency to deliver a 6-inch pizza to the international space station.
16. Pizza is no longer considered a cheap food.
Pizza that was once consumed by the people of Italy having lower income, is no longer considered cheap food. It has spread worldwide, with some pizzerias selling it for thousands of dollars.
17. There are a million ways to eat pizza.
Pizzerias give its customers the freedom to select their combination as they want it. When picking out a pizza, the number of combinations reported is 34 million.
18. Pizzas in Italy were originally square-shaped.
During its early invention, pizzas were not perfectly round. Instead, they were shaped and baked in a square pan.
19. Astronauts can print 3D pizzas in space.
To replace the bland meals for astronauts with a delicious pizza, the new technology developed in the U.S. allows astronauts to enjoy flavorful pizza using a 3D printer.
20. Each slice of pizza has an estimated 220-370 kilocalories.
According to dieticians, the calories in a single slice of pizza are around 220-370 kilocalories depending on the type of toppings used.
21. One 18-inch pizza gives you more pizza than two 12-inch pizzas.
As the area of the circle increases with diameter, the larger the diameter, the more pizza you can get per slice.
22. Eating pizza may reduce the risk of esophageal cancer when consumed once a week.
From a health perspective, eating pizza once every week can likely reduce the risk of esophageal cancer. The researchers suggested that it is due to the nutritional benefits of high lycopene content in tomato sauce. Additionally, the high flavonoids in tomato sauce also help support the immune system.
23. The first Pizzeria opened in Naples Italy in the early 1800s.
This world-famous food came from very humble beginnings. The very first pizzeria was opened in Naples, Italy in the early 1800s. They were sold cheaply on the streets to feed the poor and hungry masses.
24. A pizza maker is referred to as a Pizzaiolo.
A person who makes pizza from scratch is referred to as a Pizzaiolo.
25. In 2013, Domino’s made DVDs that smelled like pizza.
A marketing stunt by Domino’s to make DVDs that smelled like pepperoni pie.
26. Cardboard Boxes are perfect for pizza delivery.
Initially, pizzas were attempted to be delivered in cake boxes. It was unsuccessful as the pizza fell apart and the boxes got wet. Therefore, pizza boxes were introduced that were made from cardboard. These boxes keep the pizza crust crispy and warm.
2 Best Activities for National Pizza Day
Pizza Party
Gather up and delight yourselves with the pizza party.
Dare to Pizza
Give a dare to your friends and family to eat pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for few days.
Let’s Grab a Slice!
Spice up your next meal with a slice of pizza. You can also customize it with your favorite toppings to meet your cravings just the way you like them.
Do let us know which flavors you like the most.
