Pepperoni

Pepperoni is an Italian-American variety of salami (a dry sausage) usually made from cured pork and beef. Poultry may be added, but must be labeled correctly. Pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red in color. It is a descendant of the spicy salamis of southern Italy, such also as salsiccia Napoletana piccante, a spicy dry sausage from Naples or the soppressata from Calabria, the main differences are that Pepperoni has a finer grain, is usually softer, less "aged", and produced with use of a "synthetic gut" almost exclusively produced in an "industrial" way, so not as artisanal as the previously mentioned Italian salamis and sausages. Sodium nitrite, used as a modern curing agent and allowing room temperature storage, gives pepperoni the pink of its distinct orange-pink color, while paprika or other capsicum provides the orange. Thinly sliced pepperoni is a popular pizza topping in American-style pizzerias, and a filling in the Appalachian pepperoni roll. Also, it is sometimes used to make sub sandwiches.