Pizza is one of those rare foods that brings people together. Whether it’s thin-crust, deep-dish, cheesy, or loaded with toppings, everyone has a favorite slice. From ancient origins to modern-day obsessions, here are 25 interesting facts about pizza that’ll make you love it even more.
25 Delicious Facts About Pizza …Yummy!!!!
1.The First Pizza Wasn’t What You Think
Early versions of pizza were simple flatbreads with toppings like herbs and oil—nothing like the cheesy slices we know today.
2. Americans Eat 3 Billion Pizzas a Year
That’s about 350 slices per second! No wonder pizza is America’s favorite comfort food.
3. October Is National Pizza Month
Established in 1987, it’s a celebration of everyone’s favorite dish.
4. A Millennium-Old Name: The word “pizza” was first documented in a Latin manuscript in 997 AD, in the southern Italian town of Gaeta, long before the modern dish was conceived.
5. The Humble Start: For centuries, pizza was considered the food of the poor—a cheap, quick meal for working-class people in Naples, Italy, sold by street vendors.
6. A Royal Endorsement: Modern pizza gained international recognition in 1889 when Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples, prompting the creation of the now-famous Margherita Pizza with colors (red tomato, white mozzarella, and green basil) to represent the Italian flag.
7. The World’s Oldest Pizzeria: The oldest continually operating pizzeria in the world is Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, which opened in Naples in 1738.
8. WWII’s Impact on American Pizza: Pizza’s widespread popularity in the United States exploded after World War II, when American soldiers returning from Italy brought their taste for the local dish home.
9. The $12,000 Pie: The most expensive pizza in the world is the Louis XIII, created by Chef Renato Viola. It’s prepared at your home and topped with extravagant ingredients like three types of caviar, Norwegian lobster, and pink Australian sea salt.
10. Pizza in Space: In 2001, Pizza Hut paid over a million dollars to deliver a specially preserved pepperoni pizza to the International Space Station via a resupply rocket, making it the first space pizza delivery.
11. The Size of a Football Field: The largest pizza ever made was created in Los Angeles in 2023, measuring a massive 13,957.77 square feet and topped with over 630,000 slices of pepperoni.
12. An Edible Mountain: Pizza Hut once delivered a pizza to the highest altitude by carrying a pepperoni pizza to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, a four-day hike!
13. The World’s Fastest Pizza Eater: One person holds the record for the fastest time to eat a 12-inch pizza with a knife and fork in just 23.62 seconds.
14. The Cheesy Champion: One pizza parlor once made a pizza featuring 101 different kinds of cheese, inspired by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.
15. A Pizza Memorabilia Museum: Philadelphia is home to Pizza Brain, the world’s first pizza museum, certified by Guinness for having the world’s largest collection of pizza-related memorabilia.
16. Pizza Emoji Was Added in 2010
Quickly became one of the most popular food emojis.
17. Slices Per Second: Americans consume an estimated 350 slices of pizza every second, which works out to about 100 acres of pizza daily.
18. Top Topping: The undisputed favorite pizza topping in the U.S. is pepperoni, appearing on over a third of all pies ordered.
19. The Biggest Delivery Day: Contrary to popular belief, Halloween has often unseated Super Bowl Sunday as the biggest day of the year for pizza delivery.
20. The Lifetime Slice Count: The average American eats about 6,000 slices of pizza in their lifetime.
21. The $1,000 Tip: A Domino’s delivery driver once received a $1,268 tip from a group of college students who pooled their money to show appreciation.
22. NASA’s 3D Printed Pizza: NASA has funded a project to develop a 3D printer that can print a fresh, edible pizza for astronauts, allowing them to have a slice of home on long-duration space missions.
23. The U.S. Military Invented a 3-Year Shelf-Stable Pizza
Designed for soldiers, it can last up to 3 years without refrigeration.
24. There’s a Pizza-Themed Wedding Trend
Couples now serve pizza instead of cake at their receptions.
25. Pizza Is the Most Instagrammed Food in the World
With millions of hashtags, pizza truly dominates social media.
FAQs
Q1: Who invented pizza?
Pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, in the 18th century.
Q2: What’s the most popular pizza topping?
Pepperoni is the top choice worldwide.
Q3: Can pizza be healthy?
Yes—use whole wheat crust, fresh veggies, and low-fat cheese.
Q4: Which country eats the most pizza?
Norway ranks first per capita, followed by the U.S.
Q5: What’s the weirdest pizza topping?
Some countries top their pizzas with bananas, squid, or mayonnaise.
Q6: What’s the largest pizza ever made?
The record pizza in Rome was over 13,000 square feet!
Curious by nature, storyteller by choice. I run Interesting Facts to bring you mind-blowing stories, hidden truths, and fascinating insights from around the globe. If it makes you say “Wow, I never knew that!”—my job is done.
Laiba Hanif is a professional fact-finder and the writer behind “Interesting Facts.” Fueled by a degree in Anthropology and over five years of experience unearthing hidden truths, she specializes in digging up the most bizarre, fascinating, and mind-bending tidbits the world has to offer. She’s here to prove that reality is stranger—and more amazing—than fiction.
