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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.

Published: 22 October 2015 13:44 CEST
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

What to do (and avoid) when paying a restaurant bill in Italy

If you have plans for dinner out in Italy, here's a look at the etiquette over the bill - from where and how to pay to the culture around tipping.

Published: 12 June 2024 12:11 CEST
What to do (and avoid) when paying a restaurant bill in Italy

If you go out to eat in Italy, then there are a few things you should know about paying the bill afterwards.

This sounds like it should be straightforward, but the etiquette may differ from your home country.

Uncertainty around how it all works in Italy leads some visitors to worry about causing offence, or to wonder if they’ve been overcharged (which is thankfully rare, although it does happen.)

But becoming familiar with a few local norms should make dining out in Italy a stress-free experience.

How to ask for the bill – When you’re ready, try to catch the waiter’s eye and ask for the bill (possiamo avere il conto?). You can always ask for the bill while they clear your plates.

Unless you’re in a very busy or touristy place the bill is not usually presented until you ask for it – this is deliberate, as Italian waiters normally don’t like to hurry their customers and once you’ve finished dinner it’s perfectly OK to linger and chat over the dregs of the wine.

If you’re in a place that runs two service periods at night (usually one at around 7.30pm and one at 9pm) then you may be asked to clear your table by a certain time, but this should be made clear to you when you book or when you arrive. 

If it’s getting late and the place is emptying out the waiter may bring over the bill and ask you to pay so they can close up the till – but they’re not necessarily saying that you have to leave. If they start stacking up chairs, however, then that’s your cue to go home.

What to expect on the bill – On top of the cost of your food and drink, in many places you can expect to see an extra fee for coperto, or a cover/table charge, on your Italian restaurant bill.

Coperto is a a fixed fee which is charged by restaurants in Italy on a per-person basis, in addition to the price of food and drinks, to cover expenses for washing or replacing cutlery, plates, napkins and tablecloths used by customers.

The coperto charge only applies to seated customers (both children and adults), meaning that you won’t have it tacked onto a takeaway order – and should definitely complain if you do.

READ ALSO: ‘A rip-off’: Should you really get mad about Italy’s table charge?

It’s usually around €2-€4 per person, but can rise as high as €10 or even €15 per person at major tourist sites such as Venice’s Piazza San Marco or right next to Milan’s Duomo cathedral.

Coperto has been banned by regional law throughout Lazio since 2006, so you shouldn’t see it listed on your bill in a Rome restaurant, though it may be snuck in in the form of an extra charge for bread (pane) or service (servizio).

There’s nothing illegal about charging these fees, and a restaurant could in theory add all three to your bill – but they must be clearly listed on the menu or price board, and you can refuse bread when it’s brought to your table so you don’t have to pay an extra charge for pane.

Where to pay the bill – One major difference between Italy and other countries is that many restaurants – usually more casual ones – will expect you to walk up to the cash register to pay the bill.

This means that once you feel ready to go you can just walk up and pay at the counter, rather than waiting for the bill.

You can always double check with the server by asking paghiamo qui o alla cassa? (do we pay here or at the counter?)

In many cases, the answer will be ‘either’ so it’s really up to you – but be prepared to wait a while for both your bill and your change if you want to pay at the table.

Tourists sit in the shade of umbrellas at an open-air restaurant on a street in central Rome, on July 19 2022. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP.

How to split the bill – If you dined with a friend or friends, then you may want to split the bill. Some Italian restaurants use smart tablets that allow servers to click each of the items you ordered and then inform you of exactly how much you owe individually, while others will expect you to do the maths yourself. 

The waiter will likely ask how you want to pay (come volete pagare?). In response, you and your friend can tell the waiter vogliamo dividere il conto (we want to split the bill) once they come out with the card reader.

READ ALSO: How to spot the Italian restaurants to avoid

If you want to split it, you can say possiamo dividerlo in three/cinque? (can we split it three ways/divide it by five?). If there’s two of you can also say paghiamo metà a testa.

If you don’t want to do an equal split – let’s say your friend had the bistecca alla fiorentina and was drinking wine while you had a salad and a water – you can just do the maths yourself and then tell the server exactly how much you want to put on each card when they come out with the card machine.

How to leave a tip – Italian wait staff aren’t reliant on tips to get by like they are in many parts of the US. As is the case elsewhere in Europe, they are paid a standard wage and tips are viewed as an added, and optional, extra.

Italians may tell you they rarely leave a tip, or only do so if service was exceptional.

While tipping is always appreciated, then, it’s entirely at the customer’s discretion (beyond ‘servizio’ charges on the bill).

READ ALSO: When and how much should I tip in Italy?

If you don’t see servizio listed on the bill, you might want to leave one or two extra euros per person, and if there’s a group of you paying the bill together, you’d want to round up to at least the nearest five.

If you’re paying by card, bear in mind that not many places will be able to add a tip to the card payment – so you might want to carry some change or small notes so you are able to leave something behind.

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