Ahead of our 2024 Cheesy Pizza Month which will kick off on Nov 29, we thought we'd delve into the world of pizza, exploring types from across the globe. Now bets are you've heard of classics like the Italian Neopolitan or New York-style pizza, but what about the German flammkuchen or Argentinian fugazza? Many countries have developed their own takes on the iconic dish or have their own unique "pizza-esque" dishes, so let's dive on in.
We have to of course start with the mother of all pizzas, the Neapolitan Pizza. Created in Naples, it's known for its soft, thin crust with a light, airy texture and signature slightly charred appearance due to being cooked in a wood-fired oven at a high temperature. According to legend, the most classic variation, the Margherita, was created to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy with the toppings of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves representing the red, white and green of the Italian flag.
Where to find in Beijing: there are numerous spots offering up this kind of pizza in Beijing including COMMUNE (pictured), Carpaccio, Annie's, Il Fuoco, Bottega, La Pizza and more.
Created by Italian immigrants to the US, New York-style pizza can be seen as an offshoot of Neapolitan pizza. Famous for its large, foldable slices, it boasts a thin, pliable crust topped with a zesty tomato sauce, mozzarella, and various toppings like the iconic pepperoni. The city’s mineral-rich water is credited for its signature dough texture.
Where to find in Beijing: you can also find this in many spots in the capital such as Big Joe (pictured), Great Leap, Pyro Pizza and Goose Island.
Hailing from the Alsace region on the French/German border, flammkuchen features a thin, crispy dough topped with crème fraiche, onions, and streaky bacon or diced ham. Originally flammkuchen – which translates to "flame cake" – was used as a way for bakers to test the temperature of their oven. They'd roll out a piece of dough, top it with crème fraiche and put it in the oven, the amount of time it took for the flammkuchen to bake told them the oven's temperature.
Where to find in Beijing: Puzzles, Blue Star
Invented in the 1980s, Sweden’s kebab pizza blends doner meat, cheese, tomato sauce, and kebab sauce atop a thin or moderately thick crust. This fusion dish has become a Swedish staple, particularly on Jan 1, when it’s enjoyed as a post-New Year’s celebration meal – presumably to help cure your hangover!
Where to find in Beijing: We've not been able to find anywhere doing kebab pizza but if you know of a spot, tell us in the comments!
Sicilian pizza, or sfincione, differs from American-style Sicilian pizza. The original features a focaccia-like base that's thick but thinner than the American version topped with a thin layer of tomato sauce and local cheeses like pecorino.
Where to find in Beijing: Not strictly Sicilian pizza but La Platea do pizzas with a focaccia style base
Often called "Turkish pizza," lahmacun is a thin, round flatbread topped with a beef or lamb paste, along with a mix of vegetables such as tomatoes, onions and eggplant along with spices like cumin and paprika. It’s served flat or rolled up and enjoyed across Turkey and Armenia where it's known as lamadjo.
Where to find in Beijing: Quite a few spots do lahmacun including Turkish Feast, Doner Kebap, Sultan and A Thousand and One Nights
Chicago’s deep-dish pizza is a hearty pie with a crust that can be up to two or three inches thick, it's layered with cheese, meat and a chunky tomato sauce. It was created by restaurant Pizzeria Uno back in 1943 and soon became a big hit leading to rival pizzerias creating their own versions of this type of pizza.
Where to find in Beijing: Now that Yummy Box has closed the closest thing you can get to a Chicago deep-dish, as far as we know, is at Pie Squared, which does a version served on their Detroit square crust.
Argentina's fugazza simply pairs a focaccia-style base with caramelized onions, though some chefs may add other toppings like olives and artichokes. For those craving something a little more indulgent, there is also a variety called fugazzeta which adds another layer of dough with mozzarella sandwiched in between them.
Where to find in Beijing: We've not been able to find anywhere doing fugazza but if you know of a spot, tell us in the comments!
Rome offers two main pizza styles: pizza al taglio, a rectangular focaccia-like pizza sold either by the slice or weight, and pizza Romana tonda, a thin, round pizza similar to Neapolitan but with a crispier base.
Where to find in Beijing: Saporita (pictured), Forno
Those who've visited Georgia's Feast will be familiar with this one. The khachapuri is a cheesy bread dish with a thick crust and a gooey filling of cheese, butter, and egg. Diners tear off pieces of the crust to dip into the rich center.
Where to find in Beijing: Georgia's Feast
California-style pizza, also referred to as gourmet pizza, is known for its innovative and eclectic toppings and is different from other pizzas in that it's not defined by a certain crust. Popular toppings include ingredients like arugula, goat cheese, smoked salmon, artichokes, truffle oil, or pretty much anything you can think of.
Where to find in Beijing: As they both offer quite diverse toppings on their pizza, we'd class Gung Ho! (pictured) and The Local as California-style pizza
Known as "Mexican pizza", tlayuda features a large, crispy corn tortilla that is baked and dried and then loaded with toppings like refried beans, cheese, avocado, salsa, pork and chicken. It’s a popular street food found primarily in Oaxaca, though its popularity has spread to other Mexican cities.
Where to find in Beijing: You can get pizzas at Q Mex with a tortilla base, while not strictly tlayuda it is similar
Detroit-style pizza has a rectangular, thick crust due to it being originally baked in steel pans from local auto factories. It's traditionally topped with Wisconsin brick cheese and tomato sauce and is known for its caramelized edges and buttery flavor.
Where to find in Beijing: Pitmaster Pizza & Home Plate Sanyuanqiao (pictured), Pie Squared
From the city of Nice, pissaladière can be thought of as a pizza tart where caramelized onions, anchovies, olives and herbs are layered onto a base either made from a pizza like dough or puff pastry. They can either be rectangular or round in shape and can be served as a snack or full meal.
Where to find in Beijing: We've not been able to find anywhere doing pissaladière but if you know of a spot, tell us in the comments!
Catalonia’s coca resembles pizza with its thin flatbread base. Variants like coca de trampo feature toppings like tomatoes and peppers, while coca de recapte includes cured meats and anchovies.
Where to find in Beijing: We've not been able to find anywhere doing coca but if you know of a spot, tell us in the comments!
A folded pizza originating from Naples, Calzones are filled with ingredients like ricotta, mozzarella and some kind of meat like ham or salami. They look a little like a big jiaozi in appearance and in Chinese are often referred to as "Italian pizza jiao" (意大利披萨饺 yìdàlì pīsà jiǎo).
Where to find in Beijing: Carpaccio, Annie's, Il Fuoco, Alimentari, Bottega
Poland’s zapiekanka is a street food staple made with halved baguettes topped with mushrooms, cheese, and ketchup. It’s a simple, hearty dish that rose to popularity during communist times.
Where to find in Beijing: We've not been able to find anywhere doing zapiekanka but if you know of a spot, tell us in the comments!
Although okonomiyaki is often referred to as "Japanese pizza" it's actually closer to a pancake or an omelet. It consists of a batter made from flour, eggs, and shredded cabbage which is fried and layered with a range of toppings and condiments.
Where to find in Beijing: Xiao Man Teppanyaki
You'll be able to try many of these pizza varieties in our upcoming Cheesy Pizza Month, you can read more details about it here and in the poster below. Be sure to also keep an eye out for our future posts with all the cheesy details!
The 2024 Cheesy Pizza Month will be taking place from Fri, Nov 29 until Mon, Dec 30.
If you want to keep up to date with this, Cheesy Pizza Month and all your must know pizza related happenings join our Beijing Pizza Lovers group chat by scanning the QR code below.
Group full? Just scan the QR code below to add TBJButler and ask to be added to the group!
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Images: Canva, Wikimedia Commons, courtesy of the venues, the Beijingers
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