A spicy, cured Italian sausage made from pork and beef that is sliced thin and often used as a pizza topping.
From Italian 'peperoni,' plural of 'peperone,' which comes from 'pepe' (pepper) plus the augmentative suffix '-one.' The word entered English in the early 20th century as Italian immigration brought the food to America.
Pepperoni isn't actually Italian in origin—it's Italian-American! Italian immigrants created this style of sausage in America, combining their traditions with available American ingredients, making it a uniquely New World invention.
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