Pepperoni

Pepperoni is a meat product (pork or beef) frequently used as a topping for pizzas. It is the most popular pizza topping in North America, present on at least 30% of all pizzas.

Pepperoni is a misspell of peperoni, the Italian plural of peperone (literally "large pepper"). As an English word, it is used as a singular (plural form identical). In Italian the word refers to a large, strong-tasted fruit. Ordering pepperoni pizza is a nasty surprise for many American tourists.

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In continental Europe, pepperoni are smallish peppers of low to medium hot taste marinated in salt-vinegar solution. It is usually the ripe fruit of sweet pepper (Capsicum Annuum).