Everyone has their “off the beaten path” pizza topping. There is nothing wrong with it, but of course some people will be in awe of the choices!
There is pineapple, anchovies, pickles, kimchi, sardines, cilantro (for the no-cilantro lovers). No matter the choice, each topping has their reasoning behind it, and their mass supporters who will always stick up for it!
But what are some of the most bizarre toppings? When we say bizarre, we mean really strange.
Whatever it is, we will dive into the origins, history, and crowds that enjoy some of these peculiar toppings. Without further ado, lets grab a slice and get started.
1. Pineapple
There are lots of interesting claims as to the origin of the pineapple pizza, but there is one that has been confirmed by many. They say it was created by a Greek immigrant named Sam Panopoulos in a Ontario, Canada restaurant in 1962.
Pineapple pizza is enjoyed by many, some put bacon with it, others do ham, the important thing to these pineapple lovers is the fruit on the pizza. There are many with strong feelings against pineapple pizza but there will always be a large mass of people who stand behind it.
2. Anchovies
Okay so anchovies certainly are a popular topping, but they also bring up a lot of questions. Anchovies are small forage fish found mainly in marine waters, and many people wonder what they are doing on a pizza.
The origins of anchovies going on Italian-styled breads dates back over 2000 years. The Ancient Romans made fermented fish into a paste that was in fact one of the first toppings on pizza when the pizza went through its modern restructuring in Naples in the late 18th and early 19th century.
The fans advocate for it due to its fishy flavor which many enjoy, and the amazing contrast it offers with the pizza under the anchovy. It is without a doubt a super-popular topping, but considering its a fish, and we are talking about pizza, it deserved some considerable mention.
3. Caviar
While we are on the topic of fish, lets talk about caviar. Caviar is a salt-cured roe that is considered a garnished delicacy by many. It used normally to enhance other foods, like in this case, pizza.
So back in the 1960’s it is said that Caviar Pizza was made in Sweden and then in 1998 Gordon Ramsey introduced this as an actual pizza dish at his restaurant Maze in London, England.
Although many think caviar is super expensive, which it normally is, many eat caviar because of its amazing salty and fishy taste that goes so well on so many different items. If you ever have a chance be sure to grab a scoop, and if there is a slice nearby, give it a shot!
4. Kimchi
Kimchi is a very popular spicy condiment originated in Korea – many people actually make it from scratch! So, you’re probably wondering how pizza enthusiasts ended up putting this condiment on their pizza.
It was reported that about 13 years ago, a woman named Ann Kim opened a pizza shop in Minneapolis called “Pizzeria Lola”. She needed a few items to round out the menu, and decided to try kimchi. Within no time, it was a hit!
Kimchi is beloved by many, it offers a great contrast to pizza, and would surely pack a flavorful punch.
5. Banana
No we are not talking banana bread, we are talking banana pizza!
Bananas are often paired with our daily grains in our day to day lives – think about it! We make banana toast, banana chocolate bars, banana muffins, etc. So, it’s not that much of a stretch to think that we might put some bananas on our pizzas!
Similar to the caviar pizza, banana pizza also gained popularity in Sweden in the 1900s. It remains popular in Sweden to this day!
We all love the classic salty and sweet combo – so try pairing your banana with some salty, or even spicy, toppings to even it out. Mozzarella, pineapple, banana, and red pepper, anyone?
6. Spam
Guys, I’m gonna SPAM you with some knowledge about putting Spam on your pizza! Get it?
Spam is one of those – cheap, canned, processed pork. Yes, pork from a can. It isn’t the most appetizing looking meat, but it gets the job done.
Spam is most popular in Hawaii out of anywhere else in the United States. We all have some pretty intense debates about Hawaiian pizza – ham and pineapple on pizza. People will put their own Hawaiian twist on this already Hawaiian pizza and replace the ham with spam.
This one may be a head scratcher, but you can’t say you don’t like something if you never tried it!
7. Mac and Cheese
Imagine being a little kid and picking from your favorite foods for dinner. You probably would be grappling between pizza, mac n cheese, and chicken tenders. The fate of your stomach for the next ten hours lied in you making the correct decision.
What if you didn’t have to make the decision? What if you could put the Mac n cheese ON the pizza?
Maybe when you try it, put some chicken tenders on it, too. Have all the childhood nostalgia you need in one slice of pizza!
And, FYI, Pizza Hut even stuffs their crusts with Mac n cheese.
8. Pickles
This is kind of a big dill. Everything is pickle flavored these days,
Like all other things we Americans decide is a comfort food, we decided we HAD to put them on a pizza. The rise of pickle pizza came about in New York City between 2017-2018 when Rhino’s Pizzeria put pickles on pizza. People went crazy for it.
Grab a slice if you get a chance. Worst comes to worst, it’s like pepperoni: you can always pull the pickles off if you don’t like it.
9. Liver
The title of this post isn’t the most POPULAR pizza toppings, it’s the most controversial.
Apparently it’s all been done before: chicken liver, duck liver, fish liver. So, try it if you want to reverse the meaning of pizza. I guess anything is okay once in a while.
This one is definitely another head-scratcher, but people who enjoy liver would likely enjoy liver pizza…
10. Cilantro
Cilantro is a seasoning, it’s really just some flair. However, we know that many have a problem with cilantro.
Cilantro originates from South Europe and Asia and is one of the world’s oldest known herbs. Many love it, and there are plenty who don’t. That being said, cilantro offers a very fresh flavor that would do very nicely as a garnish on pizza.
11. Smoked Salmon
So this one deserves credit due to Wolfgang Puck, who invented the dish when it was time to serve actress Joan Collins dinner. The famous star requested smoked salmon and brioche as the story goes, but the restaurant had no more bread. Wolfgang used a pizza crust instead after baking it and made his own version of a bagel-style pizza.
This pizza often includes cream cheese, sometimes capers, sometimes chives. It is definitely out of the norm, but this kind of bagel is beloved by so many that it is not hard to believe that these components have become popular toppings on pizza.
12. Sweet Potato
Now some pizza dough recipes in fact include sweet potato, but we here are going to talk about it as a topping, not a part of the dough.
Sweet potato is a welcomed addition to many as it provides a different level of taste and texture to the pie. The sweetness mixed with the “mushy” bite that the sweet potato offers is definitely an odd one, but it’s not half bad!
Sweet potatoes are a consistently delicious food, so its not the most out-of-the-box, but it definitely is a bit odd.
13. Tomato Ketchup
This one hurts. That’s right, ketchup on pizza.
When it comes to brutal toppings, this one pretty much takes the cake. Ketchup to many is not a typical sauce to go on a pizza pie.
Many love ketchup and will put it on anything. What makes it most interesting is there is usually already tomato sauce on the pizza, so this means people really like to add on the ketchup-based condiments.
And For Takeaway
Looking back, we discussed some crazy toppings, shared the origins of some of the more popular ones, and helped give a little insight into why people enjoy these toppings.
Never be afraid to try something new, there is always a flavor or topping out there that you haven’t tried, so why not try it now!
