Pizza Pops are a Canadian
calzone
A calzone (, , ; "stocking" or "trouser") is an Italian oven-baked folded pizza, often described as a turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in a ...
-type snack produced by
Pillsbury. Pizza Pops are sold both pre-cooked and frozen. Typically, they can be reheated in a
microwave oven
A microwave oven (commonly referred to as a microwave) is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This induces polar molecules in the food to rotate and produce ...
. However, they may also be cooked in a conventional oven.
History
Pizza Pops were invented by Paul Faraci (September 13, 1928 – February 6, 2018)
of
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
, Manitoba, Canada in 1964; they were conceived as a modification of traditional cheese-filled Italian turnovers such as
calzone
A calzone (, , ; "stocking" or "trouser") is an Italian oven-baked folded pizza, often described as a turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in a ...
or
panzerotti
A panzerotto (; plural panzerotti , also known as panzarotto ), is a savory turnover that originated in Central and Southern Italian cuisine which resembles a small calzone, both in shape and dough used for its preparation. The term usually ap ...
.
The rights to Pizza Pops were later sold to Pillsbury. Pizza Pops are currently manufactured by
General Mills
General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company or ...
at a factory in Winnipeg.
Varieties
Pizza Pops come in several varieties such as "Hawaiian", "Three Meat", "
Pepperoni
Pepperoni is an American variety of spicy salami made from cured pork and beef seasoned with paprika or other chili pepper.
Prior to cooking, pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red. Thinly sliced pepperoni is one ...
", "Pepperoni & Bacon", "Deluxe", "Cheese Burger", "Canadian", "
Poutine
Poutine () is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec, in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding it ...
" and "Three Cheese". All varieties of Pizza Pops, except for poutine and Three Cheese, contain
pizza
Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, on ...
sauce,
pizza topping, and meat. They may also contain
vegetable
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the edible flower, flowers, ...
s, such as
green peppers or
mushroom
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans.
The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...
s, and artificial colours and flavours such as
Yellow 5
Tartrazine is a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye primarily used as a food coloring. It is also known as E number E102, C.I. 19140, FD&C Yellow 5, Yellow 5 Lake, Acid Yellow 23, Food Yellow 4, and trisodium 1-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-4-(4-sulfonatoph ...
.
Chili Pops and Veggie Pops were introduced at the same time in the 1980s but were discontinued within a few years. Chili Pops were reintroduced along with the introduction of Fajita Pops in the 1990s, but both were also discontinued within a few years.
Pizza Pops are only available in Canada.
See also
*
List of Canadian inventions and discoveries
Canadian inventions and discoveries are objects, processes, or techniques—invented, innovated, or discovered—that owe their existence either partially or entirely to a person born in Canada, a citizen of Canada, or a company or organizatio ...
*
Hot Pockets
Hot Pockets is an American brand of microwaveable turnovers generally containing one or more types of cheese, meat, or vegetables. Hot Pockets was founded by the Chef America Inc. Since April 20, 2002, they have been produced by Nestlé.
Hi ...
*
Pizza rolls
Pizza snack rolls (also called pizza rolls, pizza bites, pizza snacks, or pizza poppers) are a frozen food product consisting of bite-sized breaded pizza pockets with an interior of tomato sauce, imitation cheese and various pizza toppings. They ...
*
List of frozen food brands
*
Panzerotti
A panzerotto (; plural panzerotti , also known as panzarotto ), is a savory turnover that originated in Central and Southern Italian cuisine which resembles a small calzone, both in shape and dough used for its preparation. The term usually ap ...
*
Totino's Pizza Stuffers
References
External links
Pizza Pops official websitePizza Pops product page at General Mills Canada's website
{{Food-product-stub
Canadian snack foods
Frozen pizza brands
General Mills brands
Calzones
Cuisine of Manitoba