September 20 is National Pepperoni Pizza Day. According to the National Day Calendar folks, "pizza" did not exist until after June 18, 1889, when Rafael Esposito, a master chef for the queen of Italy, decided to honor Her Majesty with a pizza as majestic as the Italian flag.

The Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, inspired the pizza maker so much, he created this pie-shaped delicacy. In the queen’s honor, he named it "Pizza Margherita", topping it with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. The colors represent the Italian flag.

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Since then, the pizza has evolved into a pie adorned with things like anchovies, pineapple, meats, and more. However, pepperoni didn't come onto the scene until the late 19th century when Italian immigrants brought the spicy sausage to the United States with them.

The Italians seasoned pork and beef, then smoked and cured it. When the pepperoni is ready, it is thinly sliced and strategically placed on the top of a classic pizza pie, then baked to perfection.

While pizza comes with many different toppings, pepperoni is the most popular of all. It doesn't matter if you like thin and crispy, deep-dish, Chicago or New York-style pizza, pepperoni is always on top (literally).

I am of the opinion that in order to observe National Pepperoni Pizza Day the proper way, one must call up their favorite pizzeria and order the biggest pepperoni pizza pie. Enjoy your new favorite holiday with family, friends, and your favorite beverages.

Today, pepperoni pizzas are the #1 hottest-selling pizzas in America. According to PizzaPro.com, it's estimated that over 13 billion pizzas are consumed in the United States every year, and 36% of all those pizzas are pepperoni.

For my own personal pizza invention, check out the video below. Enjoy National Pepperoni Pizza Day at your favorite pizzeria, snap a photo, and share it with us.  #pepperonipizzaday

As they say in Italy - "buon appetito!" or "buona cena!"

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