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The Pizza thread got me thinking- Pizza is a really standard world food these days, but it's also probably the one which is the most different from nation to nation (although curiously Zanzibar Pizzas and North Yorkshire Pizzas are vaguely similar). What's Pizza like in your country? What toppings does every restaurant have, nearly without exception?
In Sweden, pizzas are thin base serving one person, with tomato pureé and standard rather than "stringy" cheese, and always loads of dried Oregano.
There's a regimented set of named pizzas, each with universially defined ingredients, that nearly every Pizzeria has. Margherita is the standard, just-sauce-and-cheese pizza just like in England, but then there's almost always also Versuvio (just ham), Al Funghi (just mushrooms), Capriciosa (Ham + Mushrooms), La Bussola (Ham + Prawns), Hawaii (Ham + Pineapple), Marinara (Prawns + Mussels), Quattro Stagione (Ham, Prawns, Mushrooms, Artichoke Bottoms, Olives- divided into four specified corners), Opera (Ham + Tuna), Calzone (Ham, folded up), Tefat (Ham, with an extra pizza bottom on top), and Calzone Special (Prawns, Ham and Mushroom, with extra pizza bottom on top).
After this are any number of fancifully named pizzas, often including ones with either pork fillet, kebab meat or high-grade steak on the expensive end of the scale. And, for some reason, bearnaise sauce. Typical highest-end pizza: "House Special (Entrecote, fresh mushrooms, onion, sauce bearnaise, Gorgonzola)". A typical menu has around 40 different named pizzas.
In Sweden, pizzas are thin base serving one person, with tomato pureé and standard rather than "stringy" cheese, and always loads of dried Oregano.
There's a regimented set of named pizzas, each with universially defined ingredients, that nearly every Pizzeria has. Margherita is the standard, just-sauce-and-cheese pizza just like in England, but then there's almost always also Versuvio (just ham), Al Funghi (just mushrooms), Capriciosa (Ham + Mushrooms), La Bussola (Ham + Prawns), Hawaii (Ham + Pineapple), Marinara (Prawns + Mussels), Quattro Stagione (Ham, Prawns, Mushrooms, Artichoke Bottoms, Olives- divided into four specified corners), Opera (Ham + Tuna), Calzone (Ham, folded up), Tefat (Ham, with an extra pizza bottom on top), and Calzone Special (Prawns, Ham and Mushroom, with extra pizza bottom on top).
After this are any number of fancifully named pizzas, often including ones with either pork fillet, kebab meat or high-grade steak on the expensive end of the scale. And, for some reason, bearnaise sauce. Typical highest-end pizza: "House Special (Entrecote, fresh mushrooms, onion, sauce bearnaise, Gorgonzola)". A typical menu has around 40 different named pizzas.
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