As obsessed as the world is with food, not many people are able to tell you about their favorite food, unless it is what toppings they want. Here are some lesser-known facts about pizza.
What day of the year is pizza eaten more than any other day? The answer is Superbowl Sunday. That was a pretty easy one. The second most popular day is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Who would have thought it,
but it makes perfect sense since no one wants to cook the day before Thanksgiving.
What is the absolute largest oven baked pie ever? The answer is 123 feet in diameter. Can you imagine how huge that is? It is hard to believe. It is also hard to imagine how big a single slice of that pie would look like.
When and where was the first oven baked pie served in the United States? The answer is it was served in 1905 at Gennaro Lombardi's Italian restaurant in New York City. That one makes perfect sense because after all, it is New York City.
Do you know how many pizzerias there are in the United States? There are 70,000 pizzerias in the United States and out of those 70,000 pizzerias, 65 percent of them are chains. That is truly an astonishing number. 65 percent!
This is an easy one: what is the most popular chain? If you guessed Pizza Hut, you are correct. In fact, there are over 12,000 restaurants worldwide and they hold 17 percent of the total industry sales market. However, as far as the industry chain that delivers the most of these Italian dishes, Dominos reigns supreme in the industry.
Okay here is another easy one. What is the most popular topping on a flat round pie? Pepperoni is the winner here. Some people are not big fans of pepperoni, but there is always Hawaiian style with ham, pineapple and cherries, though some places do not add the cherries.
Hand tossed pie is number two in both food service and take out food. What is number one in those categories?
Well it is surprising that pie is not number one in both of these categories. In food service, hamburgers are number one, and in take out food, chicken is number one. Many people would have thought that Chinese would have been number one in take out, but that just isn't so!
How was this delicious Italian pie invented in the United States? In the midst of World War 2, our soldiers saw Italians that were eating rolls or bread would dip it in sauce. That concept evolved into the delicious Italian pie it is today.
Here is another history type question. In the 1940's, if you went to Italy and ordered a pizza, what was not included on the pie? This is a stumper but the answer is actually meat. The pie had sauce, cheese and veggies but no meat whatsoever.
The next time someone asks you about what you like to eat, you can let them take this trivia and see how much they know about your favorite food.
