Pepperoni is easy to identify. Before it is sliced, it comes in a long stick. Then sliced it appears as circles because the pepperoni stick is round. The slices are usually thin and people put pepperoni on pizzas. Then the pepperoni is cooked along with the rest of the pizza.
Pepperoni is considered to be a salami. In order to make pepperoni, you would have to mix together a few ingredients including a meat which is either beef or pork. The meat is cured. With the meat, you mix the seasonings which include paprika or chili pepper to give it that flavor. Then the meat is rolled into its shape before curing it some more. It appears red and has a slight smoky taste to it.
Pepperoni, a favorite pizza topping, is considered to be either thinly sliced sausage or a type of Americanized salami. It is made from ground beef and cured pork. Ground turkey can also be used in the making of pepperoni but it must be labeled in the United States. Other ingredients include chili powder, mustard seeds, fennel, garlic powder and other seasonings to give the meat its signature flavor.
If you've heard that the casing is made of pig intestines, this is partially correct. It's only partially so because it is generally not used in the U.S. anymore. Instead, artificial casings are used that are typically made of cellulose or collagen.