10 Fun Pizza Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

How do you like your pizza, thin and crispy or thick and cheesy? With olives, mushrooms, or just plain? However you enjoy it, one thing is clear: pizza is loved by millions. Here are 10 surprising facts about this favorite food.

1. Where the Word Comes From
The word "pizza" comes from Gaeta, a city in Italy. In Italian, it means “cake” or “pie.”

2. Billions of Slices Every Year
Around the world, about 5 billion pizzas are sold every year! In the U.S. alone, people eat around 3 billion of them.

3. There’s a Pizza Museum
In Philadelphia, there’s a museum filled with pizza-related items such as old menus, pizza boxes, and lots of fun collectibles.

4. Tomato Sauce Is Good for You
Tomato sauce has a natural substance called lycopene that helps support your immune system. It’s also full of antioxidants that may help with heart health.

5. Pizza by Plane
In Alaska, there’s a pizza place that delivers by airplane to faraway villages. That’s a serious delivery service!

6. Pizza Was Declared a Vegetable
In 2011, the U.S. Congress said pizza could count as a vegetable in school lunches because of the tomato sauce.

7. Pizza in 70 Seconds
In 2013, NASA made a pizza-making machine that creates a pizza in just 70 seconds. It was designed for astronauts!

8. Italy Has Pizza Rules
In Italy, there’s a “Pizza Law” that says exactly how real pizza should be made. If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t call it a pizzeria.

9. Pizza Solved a Crime
In 2010, police used a half-eaten slice of pizza to catch a criminal. They tested the leftover crust for DNA and it worked.

10. Pizza-Flavored Everything
People love pizza so much, they’ve made pizza-flavored chips, snacks, and even ice cream!

Next time you grab a slice, remember you’re eating a food with a very colorful history!