Pizza is the trademark of Italy in the world.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, pizza is celebrated today, Jan. 17, during World Pizza Day, but also on Feb. 9 in the U.S. during National Pizza Day.
In the United States, Neapolitan pizza is the favorite: one of the most popular dishes, followed by spaghetti, cappuccino and espresso.
Around the world, pizza becomes a neutral base on which to pair often unusual ingredients: Belgium loves pizza with pineapple; France flavors it with goat cheese and ham; Germany, Austria and Switzerland favor French fries, salami and bacon; and in Eastern countries, pizza is made with copious amounts of onion, peppers, sour cream, various cheeses and more.
The passion for pizza is planetary, but who eats the most of it in the world? Americans are the biggest consumers with 13 kilos per head, while Italians lead the ranking in Europe with 7.8 kilos per year, and trail Spaniards (4.3), French and Germans (4.2), Britons (4), Belgians (3.8), Portuguese (3.6) and Austrians, who, with 3.3 kilos of pizza per capita per year, close the ranking. A billion-dollar business, with turnover rising to more than 15 billion euros a year.
In Italy, Coldiretti estimates, 2.7 billion pizzas are produced annually, which in terms of ingredients means throughout the year 200 million kilos of flour, 225 million kilos of mozzarella, 30 million kilos of olive oil and 260 million kilos of tomato sauce.
