Prefer your pizza with a kick of spiciness? Papa Johns locations in Germany are serving up just the pie — and it’s inspired by the U.S. (kind of). Specifically, they offer an item called the “American Hot” pizza, which features a somewhat straightforward toppings duo of pepperoni and sliced jalapeños. To recreate it at Papa Johns restaurants in the U.S., foodies can simply order a pepperoni pizza and add jalapeños. These are currently listed as an available toppings option on the chain’s website, allowing customers to place orders online or in person.
By any name, pepperoni and jalapeños are a pizza topping duo that just works. The savory depth of the cured meat is brightened by the vegetal green flavor of the peppers. Regarding spiciness, jalapeños provide noticeably more heat than other popular American pizza toppings like sweet banana peppers (0 SHU) and pepperoncini (100-1,000 SHU). By comparison, jalapeños clock in around 2,000-8,000 on the Scoville Scale, ranking between a serrano and a poblano heat-wise. Beginners in the realm of spicy food might want to grab a glass of milk before chowing down on Papa Johns’ American Hot pie.
Pepperoni and jalapeños make Papa Johns’ American Hot pizza a spicy-savory smorgasbord
Calling this pie an “American” pizza is a perhaps ironic moniker considering jalapeños are traditionally an ingredient of Mexican cuisine. In fact, the name for this type of chili pepper literally translates to “from Xalapa” (also known as Jalapa), alluding to the Mexican city from which it hails. Perhaps “Tex-Mex pizza” would be a more fitting sobriquet, though that wouldn’t stop the item from being an “American” pizza. It’s not just Papa Johns Germany that associates America with these peppers. The chain’s U.K. branch came up with “American Hot” and “American Hottest” pizzas that featured jalapeños.
To take this pie to the next level, top it with hot honey. Drizzling the condiment over pizza is one of our absolute favorite ways to use hot honey. The sweet-spicy flavor would serve as a counterbalance to this ultra-savory pie while amping up its heat factor even further. Feeling fancy? When your Papa Johns pepperoni-jalapeño pizza arrives, pair it with a fresh green salad and a glass of chilled white wine to complete the meal. Continuing Papa Johns’ German-American flavor inspiration, a sweet lieblich German Riesling would help quell the peppers’ spiciness. Alternatively, the vibrant acidity of a California Sauvignon Blanc would emphasize the vegetal green flavors of the jalapeños.
