What cheese does really go on a pizza? And what is ‘pepperoni’?

I remember a little story that happened to me in Germany at an Italian restaurant. I ordered a pizza margherita, and knowing that most of the time you don’t get the pizza served with mozzarella, I asked to make sure that I got mine the way a real margherita should be made. And that is with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. The outcome was a red pizza with four tiny little white spots (btw, the owner added, that they made an exception for me, as usually mozzarella is charged extra…needless to say that that place would shut down within 24h, if they applied that strategy on Italian territory..).

Well, I understand trying to economize with buffalo mozzarella, being more expensive. But with a regular one? 

Long story short: Mozzarella is the main cheese that is used on a pizza. 

Restaurants often sell the margherita, being the cheapest one and being made with some way too greasy cheese imitation. It makes me furious to see that the one that is sold as ‘Pizza with tomatoes and mozzarella’ costs a couple of €/$ more, and is nothing else than THE margherita itself!

As far as ‘pepperoni’ is concerned, ‘peperoni’ – with one ‘p’ – means bell pepper. I was puzzled in the States when I heard about pepperoni pizza, as I didn’t know what it was. Nor will they know in Italy if you try to order it that way. Or the only risk you will run is to get a vegetarian pizza instead ;)