The most popular pizza topping in the world is a sliced up sausage we are all familiar with: Pepperoni.

But are we really that familiar with it? You’ve probably never thought about it, but if you’re like most people you don’t actually know what pepperoni is made of.

So what’s the answer? What kind of meat is pepperoni?

Well, most pepperoni is actually 2 kinds of meat: pork and beef. Pork is the primary ingredient, with beef added for taste and texture. The mixture is then dried, and spices are added including black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

Surprisingly, it is actually the paprika that gives pepperoni a lot of it’s spicy flavor.