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Pizza de Cuy? Photo = mashup by Kate Sedgwick using photos by palindrome6996 and The Pizza Review.
Emu
The Australian Heritage Hotel in Sydney offers many odd pizza choices. What could be crazier than Salt Water Crocodile or Pepper Kangaroo? In my book: BBQ Emu. For those not familiar, an emu is a large, f-ugly, flightless bird that looks like it’s carrying a tiki hut on its back. I’m betting that it doesn’t taste like chicken.
Labane
Sometimes used as a pizza-enhancer in Israel, Labane is a sour, strained yoghurt-cheese. Pictures of labane make me think that this somehow might be a winner – if a cheese as tart as goat cheese can work on more exotic pies, why couldn’t this one? A close relative, paneer, is often used in India.
Squid Ink
You can always count on Japan for turning food concepts on their head. This pizza finds tomato sauce replaced by the goo that comes out of a squid’s funnel. Given its notoriety for staining, I can only imagine that any mouth would look like that of a zombie after eating this pie.
Mayonnaise
Order a Mayo Jaga pizza in Japan and you’ll get mayonnaise, potato and bacon. I’m completely confused why the British didn’t create this pizza first, as it combines three of the most beloved recipe ingredients in the whole Kingdom.
Cuy (Guinea Pig)
The emu that men do. Photo by fboosman
Not only is it a great first pet, it’s also perfect when smooshed with cheese. Pizzas de Cuy have been sighted in the Andes, where eating this animal appears to be a delicacy. The meat is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, which makes it a much more appealing option than KFC’s Double Down.
Plenty of Fish
Many kinds of fish have been tossed on pizza, including the disgusting bacala concept. What beats that? A “mockba” pizza in Russia will allegedly land you toppings that include sardines, tuna, mackerel and salmon. Call it an aquarium on a pie.
French Fries
This egregious toppings is a parlour trick for tourists. I’ve seen it many tourist traps around the globe and can report that it tastes soppy and oily. Steer clear! This is among the worst in the world.
Corn
What’s on your strange pizza? Photo by bdlandis
A hot debate on the pizza circuit, most people have a decisive opinion about as to whether corn should be involved in pizza making. Having never tried a pie with corn, I’d probably vote “yes”, as long as it was on the sweet and softer side and not something bright yellow and from a can.
Grapes
Most likely based on the Tuscan classic grape focaccia, this fruit has infiltrated high end pizzerias and looks to be a new trend.
Gherkin
I draw the line at pickles but many others don’t, especially in New Zealand. Not only are gherkins on the menu at the Hell Pizza chain, but so is cranberry sauce. Ridiculous.
Tom Gates
Tom is a wayward writer based in Los Angeles. He has served as Editor for both Matador Nights and Life. He loves to go far, far away whenever possible. He is also pretending to be a third person right now and is obviously writing his own bio. He knows that you knew that, despite the deft maneuvering of pronouns. Tom's new book 'Wayward: Fetching Tales from a Year On The Road' is available for download on Amazon and iTunes.
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You can add curry to the list (either just a generic spice powder combination, or even an actual fully cooked sauce in place of tomato paste). Pretty awesome actually…
Here in Glasgow it’s quite common to see donner kebab pizza on the takeaway menu (usually referred to as the Istanbullian). I’m quite fond of curry pizza (usually chicken tikka and some spicy mince sauce). True to stereotype, you can also get pizza which is deep-fried.
Labane is Arab, and NOT Israeli!! Get tour facts straight please!!
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I feel like trying the Squid ink!
Seafood pizza is AWESOME. Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.
And I’m confused as to how fries wouldn’t work – they’re a traditional accompaniment after all…
PS I’m in the “a maize is fine too” camp when it comes to pizza vegetables. Also, artichoke. And fried egg.