National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day

Hold the fishes! National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day is observed on November 12.  Anchovy lovers move over. All the other pizza lovers get their due and pile on their toppings on this annual pizza holiday.  Olives, pepperoni, sausage, peppers and onions? Allowed. Mushrooms, bacon or pineapple approved! Just no fishy business on this national day, or no pizza for you!

Classified as an oily fish, Anchovies are a family of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are 144 species found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.  Anchovies are small, green fish that have blue reflections caused by the silver longitudinal stripe which begins at the base of the caudal fin.

Traditionally, anchovies are processed in a salt brine and then packed in oil or salt resulting in a strong, characteristic flavor. Optionally they may be pickled in vinegar giving the anchovies a milder taste.

Pizza:

• In ancient Greece, the Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese which some believe is the beginning of the pizza.
• In Byzantine Greek, the word was spelled “πίτα”, pita, meaning pie. 
• A sheet of dough topped with cheese and honey, then flavored with bay leaves was developed by the Romans.
• The modern pizza had it’s beginning in Italy as the Neapolitan flatbread.
• The original pizza used only mozzarella cheese, mainly the highest quality buffalo mozzarella variant which was produced in the surroundings of Naples.
• It was estimated that the annual production of pizza cheese in the United States in 1997 was 2 billion pounds.
• The first United States pizza establishment opened in 1905 and was in New York’s Little Italy.
• Pizza has become one of America’s favorite meals.

From Foodimentary: 

Here are today’s five thing to know about anchovies:

1. Anchovies belong to the family Engraulidae, and are found in temperate oceans worldwide, with large concentrations in the Mediterranean Sea. They are preyed upon by almost every predatory fish in their environments, and also by humans.
2.  As well as being an ingredient in almost every dish in the “Apicius” ancient Roman cookbook, garum was used as a remedy for dog bites, ulcers, and dysentery! The city of Pompeii was famous for its garum.
3. Domoic acid is produced by tiny diatoms called Pseudo-nitzschia and is a neurotoxin. It bio-accumulates in the food chain and if consumed, can cause permanent memory loss, brain damage, or even death!
4. Many people consider Phu Quoc fish sauce to be the best in the world. Three tons of black anchovies and one ton of salt are fermented in hand made vats for at least a year before the first tasting takes place. The Knorr company has a licence to produce genuine Phu Quoc sauce, and markets 2,500 tons a year.
5. Anchovies do indeed have teeth, described as “small and sharp,” in both the upper and lower jaws. Their diet consists of plankton and small fry of other fish.