It’s one of America’s favorite foods. It comes straight to your door, can be ordered from thousands of vendors, and can even be kept frozen and waiting – for whenever a pizza mood may strike. It’s a staple that we’ve grown to know and love as a culture. Whether we eat it every week, or choose to admire it from afar. But one of the main factors raising pizza to this highly worthy stature is its versatility. From toppings, to sauces, to flavor and thickness of crust, it can be changed tremendously. Transforming it into a completely different dish, but by only changing a few things. Winning, right? In honor of this incredible dish, we’ve searched high and low in order to find the quirkiest, and most unusual toppings. Ones that can only be found in the midst of your travels. The next time you’re hankering for a slice of pie, consider trying these local versions.
6. Smoked Reindeer Pizza
Yup, that’s right. And it’s far tastier than it sounds. Hailing from Finland, this unique dish is served at Kotipizza. (Consider it the Finland equivalent of America’s Pizza Hut.) Their smoked reindeer pizza is known as Pizza Berlusconi, and hosts (in addition to its crowd-bringing meat), tomato, cheese, red onion, and chanterelle, a yellow mushroom. It might sound strange, but locals agree it’s worth trying…and then trying again. In fact, it’s a best seller among the popular chain. In 2008, they won America’s Plate International pizza contest, which was hosted in New York City. Still not convinced? The restaurant’s motto is “Pizza, Love, & Understanding” – they could really use some American understanding of just how delicious reindeer can be. Those who try it are universally repeat eaters!
5. Greek Food Pizza
This might not be its technical name, but considering how many Greek foods it actually holds, we’re lumping it into a single title. This concoction, which can be found in Milwaukee, hosts gyro (the g is silent), onion, tomato, and tzatziki, a popular cucumber dip piled on top of Greek dishes. Ian’s Pizza founded this recipe as a way to cater to its more eclectic customer taste buds. You can also order a Chili Frito pie, BBQ ribs, sweet potato and kale, and mac and cheese – yep, there’s a such thing as a macaroni and cheese pizza. Going by popular demand, however, Greek food pizza is the way to go. And considering it combines to types of favorite cuisines, we’re guessing there’s very little that could go wrong, and pretty much everything that could go right.
4. Banana Curry
These two toppings might sound like a breakfast food mixed with a dinner spice. Or a dessert ingredient mixed in with a savory flavor addition. But in Sweden, it’s called dinner. Banana Curry pizza is a long-time favorite, and is even known as a “classic” dish among swedes. The dish can be found at virtually every pizza joint in the entire country. And for those who are still having a hard time picturing (or tasting) this version, think of a version of Hawaiian pizza, just with curry on top. Locals say it’s worth trying (a few times), and once savored, you’ll never go back to “plain” versions again.
3. Pastrami
Imagine the best pastrami sandwich you’ve ever had. It’s caked with mustard (the good, tangy kind), pickles, cheese, and the bread is absolutely amazing. Crisp on the outside, yet soft in the middle. Oh and it’s piping hot. Now imagine that instead of a sandwich, you’re eating a piece of pizza. It sounds delicious, right? Well you’re in luck, because this exact pizza exists. And you can sink your teeth into it the next time you visit NYC, the Bronx, to be exact. Think of it as a less calorie-filled pastrami sammmy, and without half of the mess. Pastrami on the go! Just like you’ve always hoped for!
2. Emu and Kangaroo
The folks in Australia have no qualms about cooking up the local wildlife, and their pizza toppings are a strong reflection of those natural hunting ways. Visitors of Sydney’s Australian Hotel can order a pie that is half emu, half kangaroo in order to get their taste buds on all types of game. The dish also gets piled with bush tomato, capsicum, and cranberries – an unexpected twist – to top it off. And of course, each pizza is complete with a thick, bready crust. After all, with toppings like those, they’re in need of something incredibly sturdy to hold it all in. This pizza might sound strange, but we’re ready to book a trip down under just to give it a try!
1. Full English Breakfast
We’ve saved the most impressive for last. It’s likely that you’ve heard of breakfast pizza, as well as an English breakfast (in its entirety). But we’re also guessing you haven’t heard of the two being combined until now. A practice that readily takes place in the UK. Where folks eat this incredibly filling dish for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack – or really whenever the mood strikes. Its ingredients include pretty much every meat possible (bacon, ham, ground sausage, black pudding (it’s actually sausage, not pudding), etc. though many are likely to nix pepperoni for a “breakfast dish.”), mushrooms, baked beans, plenty of cheese. And of course, the whole thing is topped with an egg. The kicker? It’s called American Pizza. Be sure and try in the next time you’re in London … just don’t be fooled by its misleading name.
