There are three true constants in life: death, taxes, and a lovingly placed pepperoncini
pepper inside every Papa John’s pizza box. Approximately 2-to-3 inches in length, with a mild spice level, the yellow-green pepperoncini is Papa John’s trademark pro-bono garnish. It is a throw-in that that has evolved into a fan favorite.
“We briefly tested taking it out of our pizza boxes, and you wouldn’t believe the uproar that it caused, it was like the world was ending,” said Sean Muldoon, Papa John’s Chief Ingredient Officer. Yes, there is a C-suite employee focused solely on making sure Peyton Manning isn’t lying when he repeatedly promises “Better Ingredients.”
"IT WAS LIKE THE WORLD WAS ENDING.”
The pepperoncini is like the plastic tip on the ends of your shoelaces (they’re called “aglets,” by the way): though seemingly insignificant, they help tie the whole package together. But few -- if any -- have ever stepped back from a pepperoni-fueled stupor to ask how or why Papa John’s includes a pepper with its pizza (it is the only national chain to do so), or what the fuck you are even supposed to do with it in the first place. https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/papa-johns-pizza-peppers-pepperoncini-pepper/food-and-drink
