Skip to Content

What Is Old World Pepperoni? Ultimate Pizza Topping and Flavor

One of the new crazes of the culinary world is Old world pepperoni. This is the type of food that appears a lot in pizzas. It is gradually taking over people’s favourites. In this article, let’s learn about this dish with Battersby. As well as learning some fun recipes to try for your family!

What Is Old World Pepperoni?

Old world pepperoni is an American bright red Italian sausage made from cured beef and pork. Spices like chili and paprika give the meat a distinctive smoky flavor. Once cooked, old world pepperoni looks different from regular pepperoni because it rolls up, causing the edges to become crispy.

old world pepperoni battersby 1

Old world pepperoni uses cured beef and pork

The topping that makes a pizza special is a variety called Old world pepperoni. Just like the classic pepperoni, this one is also made with beef and pork. Ground meat and mix together, then season to suit. Some varieties imply the use of breadcrumbs, but this is not a general rule.

Contrary to popular belief, old world pepperoni originated in the United States and not in Italy. However, it is considered a descendant of the sausage of Italy, a large sausage made from spiced ground pork.

In appearance, old world pepperoni is dark red and its edges curl when cooked due to its natural thickness and crust. It also shares a common feature with most Italian sausages in using a natural skin made from sheep intestines.

While often referred to as a salami, pepperoni is actually made like a sausage. Once properly made and packaged, it is properly preserved through a number of techniques, such as smoking, curing or drying. 

View more: How Many Ml In A Shot

The origin of Old world pepperoni

Interestingly, while pepperoni is purely American, its name is believed to be derived from the Italian word peperone, which means bell pepper. According to some articles, Italian immigrants may have brought the word to America and somehow loosely associate Italian sausage with red peppers.

In fact, the first use of “pepperoni” was traced back to Manhattan in the 19th century. Before long, in the early 20th century, as many Italians began to immigrate to America, the blend of flavors began to grow. Italy and America appeared.

At that time, pepperoni as a topping on pizza officially started in Italy.

However, in an attempt to make the dish more appealing to their traditional palate, the Italians have made some subtle changes to the meat by using finer ground meat and artificial wrappers.

The difference between American pepperoni vs Old world pepperoni

old world pepperoni battersby 2

American style pepperoni has different casings compared to old world style

Currently on the market there are 2 types of Pepperoni sausages. This is traditional pepperoni or “Old World” style and American style.

1. American-style pepperoni

This pepperoni uses an artificial casing that produces straight and evenly thick sticks that can be easily sliced. It is not red but slightly orange. Compared to Old world pepperoni, it has a milder taste.

2. Old world pepperoni

Traditional pepperoni, on the other hand, uses a natural cover, usually made with sheep intestines. It is dark red or mahogany in color and has a very spicy taste. Since it uses natural sheath, it becomes curly and can vary in thickness. With that, you may have a little difficulty in this sausage slicing process.

If you have eaten or seen an Old world pepperoni pizza, you will have noticed that it is quite small and round. It still has the skin, in that when you grill, the pepperoni will burn. This type of pepperoni is considered better than the regular one.

Many customers love the bacon flavor of the crispy, curled pepperoni as well as the charcoal. The American style curls less than the traditional style. However, the less thick pieces of pepperoni, the better the taste.

The difference between Old world pepperoni vs Salami

Pepperoni and salami are cousins of the same appearance and often feature beef and pork. However, pepperoni is tastier than most salamis. Its main use is to make pizza toppings. Salami includes a variety of sausage sticks and, although used on pizza, has many other uses such as sandwiches and antipasto plates.

old world pepperoni battersby 3

Salami with pepperoni

1. Salami

Salumi, the plural of sausage in Italy, has many different names depending on the ingredient used. For example, “saucisson sec” is an Italian sausage. It is seasoned with garlic and French white wine. 

2. Pepperoni

Pepperoni is a European-style sausage developed by Italian immigrants to the United States. It is usually made from pork and flavored primarily with paprika and chili peppers.

The reason why old world pepperoni curl?

Curious as to why the Old world pepperoni is curled up on your pizza? While the curly top layer is fascinating to see, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why pepperoni old world curls that way.

When you bake pizza, the edge of the pepperoni usually curves upwards, creating a loose lip layer. When this happens, that particular lip cooks faster than the original medium. Brown lips almost have the same bacon-like attributes that most of you would wish for. It seems to melt in your mouth in the most petty of ways. This is why most of you like pepperoni pizza.

Two attributes lead to this curl, the thickness of the pepperoni and its natural peel.

1. Thickness

As discussed earlier, Old world pepperoni slices are usually thicker. As a result, the bottom of the slice will heat up at a different rate than the top. When this happens, the vertex shrinks faster, thus pulling the edges upwards.

2. Casings

Its natural casing can also contribute to curved slices. Sheep gut covers tend to shrink when exposed to high temperatures.

Related: Chinese 5 Spice

Some ways to cook old world pepperoni

There are several ways to taste Old world pepperoni, not just pizzas. There are different ways to use this component.

The ideal way to bring out the rich and spicy flavor of old world pepperoni is to serve it with various accompaniments such as toast, macaroni and cheese. It is also a great addition to your sandwich or potato salad.

You can also slice and serve them alongside cheese, baguettes, crackers, and fruit on your cheese board. The addition of pepperoni will balance out the fatness of the cheese.

For a midnight snack, toss your tortilla chips with pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, oregano, sweet peppers, onions, mozzarella cheese, and black olives for a great old world pepperoni pizza!

old world pepperoni

Marco’s pizza old world pepperoni

The Pepperoni sausages pizza recipe

1. Ingredient

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2. Sauce

1 can (8 ounces) ketchup

1 chopped onion

1 clove of minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3. Toppings

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 package (3 ounces) sliced pepperoni

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded

4. Direction

  • Step 1: Put yeast in a bowl and add water. Then, you should leave the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, oil, salt and flour into the mixture and massage until it forms a dough.
  • Step 2: Use a damp cloth to cover the bowl. For half an hour, leave it in a cool place. After that, knead the dough again.
  • Step 3: Preheat your oven to 350°F and lubricate the pan. To roll the dough into a flat pizza shape, you should use a rolling pin.
  • Step 4: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine ketchup, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread the pizza sauce on the base. Add grated Parmesan cheese and pepperoni slices as toppings.
  • Step 5: Put it in the oven and wait until it becomes golden brown.

Conclusion

With fancy texture, and delicious taste, old world pepperoni is gradually asserting the unique position of pepperoni on pizzas. Try them out and we’re sure you won’t be disappointed!

Costco Pizza Instructions: How To Heat Up And Upgrade Your Pizza

Wednesday 4th of May 2022

[…] View more: Old World Pepperoni […]