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WEIRD

Ten bizarre but tempting non-Italian pizzas

The arrival of Domino's pizza in Italy has raised a few eyebrows, not least because the company is no stickler for tradition when it comes to topping the country's most famous dish.

Ten bizarre but tempting non-Italian pizzas
Do any of these international takes on pizza set your tastebuds watering? Photo: Steve Schroeder

Then again, there are many strange recipes masquerading as pizza around the world.

Here are a ten of the most deviant and, dare we say, delicious?

Macaroni pizza



Photo: Steve Schroeder/Flickr

Why have one classic Italian dish when you can have two simultaneously?

Originating in the US, home to such delicious and faux-Italian specialties such as 'pasta Alfredo' and spaghetti with meatballs, this carb-rich pizza is fine fodder for hungover students but will surely leave the average Neapolitan nonplussed.

The Local is unaware of pasta being used in Italy as a pizza topping,  but in many areas of the country waste-busting recipes use leftover spaghetti as a pizza base.

Coconut pizza

Several Costa Rican pizza restaurants list 'coconut' as a pizza topping. Home to such a rich biodiversity, Costa Ricans are clearly prepared to experiment with what passes as a pizza topping, and why not?

Kebab pizza


Photo: Hegyessy/Flickr

Another decidedly un-Italian thing to do with your pizza is cover it with doner meat – tempting though it may be in the early hours of the morning, when slightly inebriated.

The kebab pizza is an international dish which seemingly originated in Sweden and combines the cuisines of Italy and Turkey in a way that could horrify both Italians and Turks alike.

Deep-fried Pizza



Photo: Blair/Flickr

The much maligned deep-fried pizza is essential eating for any street-foodie worth their salt in Scotland.

It can normally be found on the menu in most chip shops and anyone willing to give it a try will be offered the choice of having their pizza deep-fried either with or without batter.

In the end it makes little difference. It is a dish so calorific that you can actually feel the years of your life slipping away as you scoff.

But it's not only popular in Scotland.

Similar versions of the dish do exist in italy, most commonly under the guise of panzerotti in Naples, where disks of deep-fried pizza dough are topped with cheese and ham and served from carts. Buon Appetito!

Corndog pizza



Photo: Steve Moses/Flickr

Another creation from the US, where the corndog is seen both as a popular snack and legitimate pizza topping.

For those of you who have never had the pleasure of tasting one, it is a sausage coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter on a stick.

Just think of it as the all-American version of pizza con salsiccia….

The mockba

The Mockba is Russia's answer to the Quattro Formaggi, except instead of being topped with four delicious cheeses, it's topped with four types of fish and is served cold – much like revenge.

Sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna make the mockba a fishy feast for the taste buds and a terrible meal choice if you're on a Russian first date.

Plenty of real Italian pizzas do use fish – but not in such overwhelming quantities. In Italy, fish is used sparingly on pizza and the combination of cheese and fish is generally regarded as a bit of a food taboo.

The mizza


Photo: Connie Ma/Flickr

Mizza may only be one consonant away from pizza – but there is a whole world of difference between the South Korea's mizza and the Italian pizza.

The mizza has a dough base, but has a layer of compounded aromatic rice instead of the traditional tomato sauce. The bed of rice is then topped with cheese, veggetables and meat.

When in Seoul…

Vending machine pizza
 

Several companies now make pizza vending machines that are able to knead your dough, choose your toppings and cook your pizza in less than five minutes before presenting you with a steaming box of freshly baked goodness.

While it may sound like sacrilege – the idea is quickly catching on and there are several of the machines already operating in Italy…

La tarte flambèe



Nicholas Winspeare/Flickr

France's answer to the Italian pizza may have a sophisticated name but it is really a super-simple and self-indulgent treat.

La tarte flambèe would struggle to be more Gallic if it tried. Featuring a crêpe-like base, which is topped with crème fraische, bacon and onions, it is a popular dish in the Alsace region of the country.

Hot dog stuffed crust and shrimp tempura mayonnaise

We've seen some pretty wacky pizzas from around the world so far, but nothing can compete with this incredible creation, reportedly on the menu in a leading pizza franchise in China.

This Chinese favourite consists of a hot dog stuffed crust, encircling a cheese and tomato pizza that is then heaped with with deep-fried shrimp and covered in swirls of mayonnaise.

Have you tried any of these wacky pizzas? Perhaps you've found a more un-Italian pizza on your travels – tell us about it in the comments below! 

By Ellie Bennett

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FOOD AND DRINK

Do Italians really eat pasta every day?

Pasta is the foundation of Italian cuisine and Italians have a reputation for eating it nearly every day. But is this reality or myth?

Do Italians really eat pasta every day?

Pasta is the cornerstone of Italian cuisine and an essential staple of Italians’ diet, hence the popularity of the adage Toglietemi tutto ma non la pasta! (‘Take everything away from me except pasta’).

But there is a widespread belief among foreign nationals that people in the bel paese eat it every single day of the week. 

Is this reality or myth?

According to a survey from research platform YouGov Italia, ‘only’ 17 percent of Italians eat pasta every day or at least six days a week. 

The majority of Italians (37 percent) consume pasta two to three times a week, while 30 percent say they eat it four to five times a week. 

Finally, 8 percent eat pasta just once a week.

While the survey seems to disprove the claim that Italians generally eat pasta every day (only a minority does), does that mean that they are not as big pasta eaters as we may have originally thought?

Not really. 

Italians are still the leading pasta consumers in the world as the average person in the country eats some 23.1 kilograms of it every year (that’s nearly two kilograms a month).

READ ALSO: Ask an Italian: How do you sauce pasta properly?

For context, people in neighbouring France and Germany only consume 8.3 and 7.9 kg per capita a year, whereas the average American eats about 9 kg every year.

Further, yearly per capita consumption in the UK stands at an average of just 3.5 kg, according to a report from pasta maker Barilla.

So, while they may not have it every day, Italians do eat quite a lot of pasta over the course of a year. 

But how do they never get tired of it? 

One of the main reasons behind Italians’ unbreakable bond with the high-carb food is variety. 

Italians are extremely creative when it comes to pasta and they rarely eat the same dish twice in a row as they like to experiment with a wide range of recipes and sauces.

READ ALSO: Ten golden rules for cooking pasta like an Italian

Further, there are over 350 types of pasta in Italy, which means that you could potentially eat a different pasta shape almost every day of the year.

Another reason why most Italians have pasta multiple times a week is that they tend to eat it in moderation, steering well clear of potential carb overloads. 

While they may have a large, high-calorie pasta dish (for instance, lasagne or pasta al ragù) on weekends or on special occasions, people in the country generally go for lighter recipes and sauces on normal days, with portions generally going from 80 to 120 grams per person.

Also, Italians very rarely eat pasta twice a day, with the majority of people having it for lunch and then opting for a non-carb-based dish in the evening.

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