Happy World Pizza Day! 6 fast facts about a quick-to-make favourite (*assuming the dough is ready-made, of course)

Today, February 9, is World Pizza Day and who in the world wouldn’t want to celebrate that?

With its origins in Italy, pizza is usually round, made of a base of leavened wheat dough, and topped with tomatoes, cheese, and whatever ingredients the maker might fancy.

Nowadays, pizza is getting more and more gourmet with exotic toppings on offer like rhubarb, basil and apple honey BBQ sauce, or a Pizza Niçoise with green beans, red onion, salty olives, chunks of tuna and anchovies – of course (pictured above).

While you’re licking your lips over the sound of that, check out these 6 fascinating facts about a once-was-rather-humble dish.

Michael Mastess

01. The risk of some cancers are reduced if pizza is consumed once a week

Good news! Italian researchers have claimed that eating pizza on a regular basis reduces the risk of developing oesophageal cancer by 59%. Colon cancer also fell by 26% and mouth cancer by 34%.

02. World War II helped bring pizza to the greater population
Before the second world war, pizza was mostly enjoyed by Italian immigrants in their own communities. During the occupation of Italy, allied troops began eating local foods to supplement dwindling rations. When international soldiers went back to their respective homelands, they brought their love for pizza with them.

03. The most popular pizza topping is pepperoni
Even vegans occasionally give into a slice of this one. Pepperoni happens to be the most popular pizza topping, probably because its main ingredient is found all over the world, it has your protein needs covered, is easily obtainable and kind of sounds like it’s got an even amount of meat and spices on it.

How many times have you paused to wonder if the ‘pepper’ in ‘pepperoni’ referred to a slice of sausage or spicy pepper?

04. The Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada

In 1962, a Greek guy named Sam Panopoulos was bored with only having three toppings available in his pizza shop in Ontario. These were mushroom, bacon and pepperoni. So he took a can of pineapples and threw chunks over the pizza. Since then there have been heated debates over whether pineapple truly belongs on a pizza.

05. A pizza was once delivered in space

In 2001, the Russian Space Agency was paid more than a million bucks to deliver a six-inch pizza to the International Space Station. Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Usachov, had the honour of being the first person to receive a pizza delivery while in orbit.

06. Dough-spinning has its own professional-level sporting event

At the World Pizza Championships you would be competing against the best in five competitive events Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing, Fastest Dough, Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Pizza Box Folding and the Pizza Triathlon. There’s also the masters division of Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing. Now that sounds like a challenge.

THE POP SHOP