Here's Why You Might Not Want To Order Pepperoni Pizza While In Italy

A properly planned vacation to Italy gives you the perfect excuse to stuff yourself full of authentic Italian dishes, including pizza. You're in the birthplace of pizza, after all, and skipping this experience would be nothing short of culinary blasphemy. It's like going to China without scarfing sushi or visiting Mexico without devouring a mean taco. Whether you're heading to a destination that boasts beautiful Amalfi coast views or staying at one of its prettiest islands, hitting up a pizzeria for your authentic pizza fix is non-negotiable. However, if you're a pepperoni lover, brace yourself for disappointment. Not only will finding it be a Herculean task, but you'll also discover that Italian "pepperoni" pizza isn't what you're used to ordering at midnight when your cravings hit.

To be fair, it's not like the pepperoni isn't a perfectly acceptable pizza topping. It's a longtime fan-favorite for a reason. According to a 2021 YouGov poll, pepperoni is the favorite pizza topping in America, with sausage, mushrooms, extra cheese, and onions trailing behind. But while you can easily order a steaming box of pepperoni pizza in the U.S. (are you drooling yet?), don't expect the same in Italy, because you can't exactly do the same here. Try ordering "pepperoni" pizza, and you'll likely be served a pie loaded with peppers instead of those spicy, red slices of meat you know and love.

Pepperoni pizza? Not from Italy. According to John Mariani, who authored "How Italian Food Conquered the World," this beloved pizza is an American invention, or more specifically, the brainchild of Italian-Americans who were missing their homeland and decided to concoct their own version of pizza stateside. "Purely an Italian-American creation, like chicken Parmesan," Mariani told The New York Times. Plus, as it turns out, the word "peperoni," is the Italian word for peppers, so if you attempt to order a peperoni pizza in Italy, you can expect to receive a pizza quite literally peppered... with pepper.

Michael Ruhlman, a meat curing expert, even dubbed American pepperoni pizza a "bastard" dish, designed for mass production. "America has a way of taking a good idea, mass-producing it to the point of profound mediocrity, then losing our sense of where the idea comes from," he shared with the outlet. And he's not entirely wrong. Domino's Pizza executive Scott Hinshaw revealed to Thrillist that the company goes through millions of pounds of pepperoni (the meat) each year.

But let's give credit where it's due. Pepperoni pizza is easier to make than traditional Italian pizza, which often includes meats that cure for months. Italian Americans had to work with what was cheap and available. "They needed something more accessible," Darren Ezzo of Ezzo Sausage told the outlet. So, while pepperoni pizza might not be authentically Italian, at least we know that it's a product of sheer creativity and resourcefulness.

With the Italian-American pepperoni pizza pretty much non-existent in Italy, you have an entire spectrum of authentic Italian pizzas to explore. And you don't have to look far to find the best pizza of your life. But if you want a truly quintessential Italian experience, head to Naples, a city that might not be for every traveler, but it is known to be where pizza was born. A trip to Pizzeria Brandi, the legendary spot that supposedly invented the Margherita pizza, is a must if you want to taste a slice of history. But honestly, any pizzeria in Naples is likely worth a visit, each offering its own take on the world-famous Neapolitan pizza.

If Naples isn't on your itinerary, don't fret. There's amazing pizza all over Italy. Travel guru Rick Steves suggests hitting up any local restaurant or pizzeria and asking the staff for their recommendations. That usually does the trick in having the best pizza — or any meal — of your trip. "I had zucchini flower pizza the last time I was in Venice, and it was really the best pizza I had in my whole trip. It looked like a big bouquet of zucchini flowers on the pizza, and it was wonderful," he recalled to The Washington Post. "And I wouldn't have ordered it had I not asked the waiter what would be a memorable, special thing to order today."