Windsor teen’s shredded pepperoni pizza post goes viral

18-year-old Aden Unger, seen on Oct. 31, 2024, says he never expected the onslaught of attention brought by his pizza post. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

A Windsor teen’s social media post showing off a distinctive Windsor pizza topping has gone viral, drawing millions of views worldwide and sparking new curiosity about Windsor-style pizza.

Aden Unger, 18, posted a photo of a pizza topped with Windsor’s signature shredded pepperoni on the social media platform X on Oct. 28.

In his post, he wrote, “Fun fact about Ontario (where I live) is that we shred our pepperoni before putting it on pizza.”

Unger, who has spent his life in Windsor, was initially unaware that the shredded pepperoni topping was unique to the city.

“I had no idea that Windsor was so unique,” he said.

Unger’s post quickly took off, gaining hundreds of likes and then rapidly escalating into the millions of engagements.

“First it was like, this post might pop off for a little bit,” he said. “Next thing you know, I'm at 12,000 likes and around 11.2 million views. It’s pretty crazy.”

As of Thursday evening, Unger’s post had reached around 12 million views, with one repost amassing over 390,000 likes and Buzzfeed writing a piece on the conversation he sparked.

For Unger, the constant notifications have been overwhelming.

Windsor-style pizza featuring shredded pepperoni. (Source: Homeslice Pizzeria/Facebook)

“My phone was buzzing nonstop and I keep it on my bed,” he said. “I can't sleep with this thing. So I had to mute my phone. I wake up the next day and all of a sudden, millions of views.”

The post has inspired debate online, with some people unfamiliar with Windsor-style pizza expressing skepticism about the shredded pepperoni topping.

“There was some people who didn't like it, some people who did like it … and some are saying that it should be the norm everywhere, which I 100 per cent agree with,” Unger added.

Among those weighing in is Dean Litster, a longtime pizza maker and owner of the Amherstburg and Leamington Armando’s Pizza locations.

Litster said Windsor’s shredded pepperoni has been gradually gaining traction beyond Canada, particularly in the United States.

He attributes the growth, in part, to the 2022 documentary “The Pizza City You’ve Never Heard Of” documentary, which highlighted Windsor pizza culture.

“Shredded pepperoni has really been picking up steam in the U.S. over the last couple of years,” Litster said.

Litster, who has been making Windsor-style pizza for nearly 25 years, describes the shredded topping as an efficiency boon for pizzerias.

“You know, when you make the round pepperonis, you got to place each one. But when it's shredded, you just sprinkle it on. So it takes way, way less time,” he explained. “And even now, with the amount of pizzas we're making, if I had to individually place pepperonis, I would go crazy.”

For Litster, Windsor-style pizza’s unique elements are central to its character.

“Cornmeal under the crust. Shredded pepperoni and mushrooms. Cheese. Those are the most important factors of a Windsor-style pizza,” he noted.

In addition to the pizza’s distinct ingredients, Litster takes pride in the artistry involved in making it.

“Like a chef has a plate, a pizza maker has the dough. That’s my canvas to paint you a picture,” he said.

While Unger’s viral post continues to circulate, he hopes it will encourage some people to try Windsor’s unique take on pizza for themselves.

“I'd recommend, like, hey, come on over, come try. It’s worth it,” he said.