By Michelle Yastremsky
The rules of pizza are: there are no rules. Whether you prefer your dough thick or thin; your sauce tomato-based or cheesy; your toppings savory or sweet – there’s no wrong way to enjoy this internationally-renowned dish.
Here are 10 variations of pizza from around the world – which one will you try first?!
Scallion Pancakes • China
Hold the cheese, please.
Stories suggest that scallion pancakes are the true inspiration for Italian pizza, brought back to Italy from China by Marco Polo. Whether or not this is true, these thin, savory “pancakes” are bursting with flavor. However, you won’t find any sauce or cheese here!
Flammkuchen • Southern Germany & Alcase
Translates literally to "flame cake."
Travel to Southern Germany or Alsace and you will encounter the flammkuchen, a thin and crispy dough base topped first with crème fraiche, then bacon and caramelized onions.
Pizza Fritta • Naples, Italy
Why bake pizza when you can fry it?
It’s no surprise that the home of Pizza as we know it has throughout time experimented with the classic dish. Enter the Pizza Fritta, a blend of traditional pizza ingredients untraditionally enveloped between two crusts of pizza dough and deep fried. Optional: add an additional layer of sauce and cheese on top for ultimate pizza bliss.
Margherita Pizza • Naples, Italy
Another Naples Staple!
A common story of origin suggests that a Neapolitan pizza maker created this pizza to honor the Queen consort of Italy, with ingredients inspired by the Italian flag (red tomatoes, white mozzarella, green basil), so you can literally take a bite out of history!
Sfincione • Sicily, Italy
Also known as Sicilian Pizza.
Travel to Sicily and you will encounter not one, but as many as five variations of Sicilian Pizza depending on the region. The most common version is the thick-crusted, deep-dished and square-shaped pizza you can find in pizzerias near you.
Lángos • Hungary
Popular Hungarian fast food.
Whether you top with vegetables, garlic, cheese or even jam, there’s no right way to Lángos. The word “lang” means flame in Hungarian, which is appropriate considering these baked beauties are made in front of a brick oven, close to the flames.
Coca de Recapte • Catalonia, Spain
No Sauce? No Problem.
Spain’s sauceless solution to pizza comes in the form of a coca. Traditional toppings include caramelized onions, sautéed vegetables, olive oil and Spanish sausage.
Pissaladière • France
Savory ingredients on a tart-like crust.
For those who prefer a thinner, crispier crust, this French pizza variation is your answer. Traditional toppings include caramelized onions, anchovies and black olives.
Pizza a Portuguesa • Brazil
Olives, onions and hard boiled eggs.
If that sounds like the recipe to success for you, then you’re in luck – Brazil’s version of pizza is just what you’ve been looking for!
Zapiekanka • Poland
Sandwich or pizza? You decide.
Start with a French baguette, slather with Polish ketchup, and top with cheese and mushrooms (or ham). You’ve now made a Polish Zapiekanka!