America’s Love Affair with Pizza

94% of the population in the U.S. eats pizza and it has become an American fast food icon. Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or about 350 slices per second. Research by Package Facts of New York indicated that each man, woman and child in the U.S. eats an average of 46 slices or 23 pounds of pizza each year. Men favor meat toppings on their pizza while women usually prefer veggies and kids just love pepperoni.


What is about pizza Americans simply can’t resist? Before we consider the answer, let’s find out first how pizza originated and became a household name in the US.

Ancient people such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, Israelites and others were already eating a variation of pizza but it’s commonly believed to be an Italian food. Gradually, Naples assumed its reputation as having the finest pizza in Italy throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Pizza became a popular fast food in the 19th century.

American GIs posted in Italy during World War II fell in love with pizza, and upon returning, further popularized the dish. But it wasn't until the 1950s that pizza really took off. Many Italian-Americans celebrities ate it, and the Dean Martin hit "That's Amore" talked about it. But it’s the teens and college students who made pizza into a cultural icon!

Going back to the question, what is it about pizza? Is it the dough, the toppings or the sauce? Of course, it is the variety of flavor that you can put on pizza! Cheese and tomatoes perhaps? What about veggies and spices? Do you prefer chicken and bacon? Or would you rather have pepperoni and cheese overload? Are you in the mood for oysters or maybe some shrimps? The truth is all of the food you can think of can be used as topping for pizza. But mostly, Americans love their pizza with lots of meat and there are plenty of pizza recipes with different kinds of meat toppings to satisfy everyone’s craving.

Understanding America’s love for pizza, Bella Pizza does its best to prepare only the tastiest pizza made from freshest savoring Italian ingredients. So what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone, call Bella Pizza and have your favorite pizza delivered at your door. Cin!