# Salami vs Pepperoni on a pizza? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008 "2012-07-22T00:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/1 "2012-07-22T00:34:26Z")
Hi all. Salami vs Pepperoni on a pizza? Obviousl the P is normal and the S isn’t so much. But it is more like grape jelly or strawberry jam on PBJ sandwich or more like the difference between grape jelly or caviar on the PBJ? To me they are different but I am not sure they are soooo different that it is just “wrong” to use salami rather than pepperoni. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/2 "2012-07-22T00:58:54Z")
Pepperoni is a little more peppery, but both are good on a pizza. Not even worth arguing about. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/3 "2012-07-22T01:33:31Z")
It’s not so much a case of apples versus oranges, as oranges versus citrus fruit: pepperoni is one kind of salami. I do like other kinds of salami on a pizza, but it’s a bit of a wild card if somebody just puts ‘salami’ on the list of possible toppings, as you can’t be sure what salami you’re gonna get. (Plus, when it comes right down to it, my favorite combo is bacon and ground beef. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/4 "2012-07-22T02:00:42Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Pepperoni is a little more peppery, but both are good on a pizza. Not even worth arguing about. My SO thinks otherwise. We (either meaning me or her(my story is its her) depending on whose story you believe) accidentally got salami rather than pepperoni from the deli to put on our home made pizzas. She’s acting like I had an affair with the hot single lady next door and I’m like WTF is the big deal? ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/5 "2012-07-22T02:10:18Z")
Depends on the style of the pizza. New York style, pepperoni. Chicago style, sausage. It’s not even a matter of opinion. It’s indisputable fact. (I know sausage wasn’t part of the OP selection, but I made an executive decision for the purpose of preserving basic civilization.) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/6 "2012-07-22T02:14:05Z")
Well aren’t you all civilized? And shit. 🙂 And the new (and our first) pizza stone worked out nicely. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/7 "2012-07-22T03:39:35Z")
As mentioned above, pepperoni _is_ a type of salami. Either will work well on a pizza. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/8 "2012-07-22T04:31:35Z")
Either will work just fine. If I had both pepperoni and salami I’d put them both on, if I had either one or the other, I would put what I had on the pizza. It’s not worth even discussing, let alone arguing about. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/9 "2012-07-22T04:32:35Z")
And here I thought the title was “_Salmon_ vs Pepperoni on a pizza?” :smack: I was all set to find out who the hell puts salmon on pizza. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/10 "2012-07-22T06:58:34Z")
Given the choice between the two, my parents swear by salami. They’ll eat pepperoni as part of a combo, but if they only pick one, it’s salami. Me? I really couldn’t care all that much. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/11 "2012-07-22T07:42:09Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > And here I thought the title was “_Salmon_ vs Pepperoni on a pizza?” :smack: I was all set to find out who the hell puts salmon on pizza. That is one of my favorite toppings… YUM! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/12 "2012-07-22T08:07:23Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > My SO thinks otherwise. > > We (either meaning me or her(my story is its her) depending on whose story you believe) accidentally got salami rather than pepperoni from the deli to put on our home made pizzas. > > She’s acting like I had an affair with the hot single lady next door and I’m like WTF is the big deal? I think she’s just telling you to be careful where you put the salami. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/13 "2012-07-22T09:45:23Z")
In Germany (or actually all of Europe, as far as I can tell) Salami is the default, and the most popular kind of pizza. When I first came to the US, I was wondering “Where is the Pizza Salami? Why are they putting only chili peppers (= peperoni) on their pizza?” I can’t really imagine a thin crust, Italian style pizza with peperoni, but I really like it on an American deep dish pie. Hmmm, pizza! ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/14 "2012-07-22T11:20:43Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever _had_ salami on a pizza. I’ll have to give that a shot. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/15 "2012-07-22T12:02:38Z")
> [@Pitchmeister](#): > > I can’t really imagine a thin crust, Italian style pizza with peperoni… What do you mean by this? I’ve certainly seen spicy salami (which is basically pepperoni) on Italian-style pizzas in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/16 "2012-07-22T13:46:02Z")
> [@Pitchmeister](#): > > When I first came to the US, I was wondering “Where is the Pizza Salami? Why are they putting only chili peppers (= peperoni) on their pizza?” > > I can’t really imagine a thin crust, Italian style pizza with peperoni, but I really like it on an American deep dish pie. Hmmm, pizza! Yeah, I am not getting this either. You do realize that (in the US at least) “pepperoni = pizza salami” and that when the OP is referring to salami, he means non-pepperoni salami. Or, am I being whooshed?? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/17 "2012-07-22T14:24:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What do you mean by this? I’ve certainly seen spicy salami (which is basically pepperoni) on Italian-style pizzas in Europe. Yes, you’re right. Thinking about it, it does exist, but salami is definitely the default. > [@JKilez](#): > > Yeah, I am not getting this either. You do realize that (in the US at least) “pepperoni = pizza salami” and that when the OP is referring to salami, he means non-pepperoni salami. Or, am I being whooshed?? 😕 Yes, I realize that. I just didn’t know 12 years ago that peperoni = peperoni salami. In German, the word peperoni means (green) chili pepper. We do have those on a pizza, but it’s usually together with salami, ham and mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/18 "2012-07-22T14:41:17Z")
Pepperoni is salami optimized for pizza. It’s smaller, so it’s easier to eat in one bite, and that extra spiciness helps a lot. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/19 "2012-07-22T15:12:25Z")
> [@Pitchmeister](#): > > Yes, I realize that. I just didn’t know 12 years ago that peperoni = peperoni salami. In German, the word peperoni means (green) chili pepper. We do have those on a pizza, but it’s usually together with salami, ham and mushrooms. Yeah, it’s confusing for Americans in Europe, too, where, like you say, “peperone/i” means what we call “peperoncini” in America. And salami comes in all different sizes. Standard American-style deli salami, which is relatively soft and is usually easily foldable, comes in sizes about 4"-4.5" in diameter. Italian-style salami is generally anywhere from 1.5"-3.5" diameter, and is usually a firmer product that will not fold. Same with Hungarian-style salami. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008/20 "2012-07-22T16:00:53Z")
Salami is not as good as pepperoni on a pizza. Coke is not as good as Pepsi. Yellow mustard is not as good as brown. None of these ruins the dish. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salami-vs-pepperoni-on-a-pizza/629008.md?page=2)