Picea (“Blackening of Crust by Fire” ) is Latin for Pizza

National Pizza Day is observed annually on February 9th.  Whether it is thin crust, Chicago-style, deep dish or anything in between, pizza is an American favorite.

Here are some interesting facts about pizza:

1. 1. Over 3 billion pizzas are sold in the USA each year.  Add another 1 billion on frozen pizzas
   2. Pepperoni is the most popular pizza at 36% of all pies ordered.
   3. We consume around 251,770,000 pounds of pepperonis every year
   4. 17% of all US Restaurants are pizzerias.
   5. 94 percent of Americans eat pizza regularly
   6. Pizza accounts for more than 10 percent of all food service sales
   7. Antica Pizzeria, the first Pizzeria, opened in Naples, Italy, in 1738.
   8. Gennaro Lombardi, the first Pizzeria in the United States, opened in 1895 in New York City.
   9. Americans consume on average 23 pounds of pizza per person each year.
   10. Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza a day or about 350 slices per second.
   11. There are approximately 61,269 pizzerias in the United States.
   12. The highest-grossing single-unit independent pizzeria in the nation, Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, is in Anchorage , Alaska. Its annual sales are approximately $6 million.
   13. The top 5 pizza sales days are; Super Bowl Sunday, New Year’s Eve, Halloween, The night before Thanksgiving, & New Year’s Day
   14. Pizza comes from the Latin root word Picea which means the blackening of crust by fire.
   15. The word “pizza” dates back over 1000 years. The first known documentation of the word is in a Latin text from 997 C.
   16. Pizza Deliverers claim women are better tippers
   17. During TV news, pizza is most often ordered during the weather
   18. Mozzarella cheese accounts for nearly 80 percent of Italian cheese production in the United States.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Pizza 

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