Pizza is more than just a delicious, cheesy slice of comfort food — it’s a culinary icon with a fascinating history and some truly surprising facts that even pizza lovers might not know. Believe it or not, pizza started out as humble street food in 18th-century Naples, Italy, where it was mostly eaten by the poor and sold from carts to workers and passersby. It wasn’t until Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples in 1889 that pizza started to gain mainstream attention. The famous Margherita pizza was created in her honor, featuring toppings that represented the colors of the Italian flag: red tomatoes, white mozzarella, and green basil. Fast forward to modern times, and pizza has become a global phenomenon — Americans alone consume about 3 billion pizzas every year, averaging roughly 46 slices per person annually! The most popular topping in the U.S.? Pepperoni, beloved for its spicy, savory kick. But pizza’s appeal isn’t just in its flavor; it has even captured the imaginations of mathematicians. The “Pizza Theorem” is a real mathematical concept that explores how to cut a pizza into equal slices using intersecting straight lines, ensuring fair distribution for everyone at the table. Pizza has even ventured beyond Earth: in 2001, Pizza Hut made history by delivering a pizza to astronauts aboard the International Space Station — an out-of-this-world delivery that cost over a million dollars! Around the world, pizza toppings vary widely and creatively. In Japan, it’s common to find pizzas topped with mayonnaise, squid, and even corn, while in Canada, Hawaiian pizza — which features pineapple — was actually invented there in the 1960s, despite its tropical name. For those who think pizza is just a casual meal, there’s also the extravagant side of pizza: the “Louis XIII” pizza, created by an Italian chef, is the world’s most expensive pizza, costing over $12,000 and topped with delicacies like caviar, lobster, and rare cheeses. With such a rich heritage and infinite variety, pizza continues to bring people together, spark creativity, and satisfy cravings worldwide. So, next time you bite into a fresh slice at [Your Pizza Shop Name], you’re not just enjoying a meal — you’re savoring centuries of history, innovation, and love baked right into every bite.