The Smosh Pit's blogger Lance blogs for us from his new home... in JAPAN!
Japan loves pizza.
From crispy Italian style marguerite pizzas in high-end Italian restaurants, to delivery pizza from familiar chains like Pizza Hut and Dominos, pizza is easy to find.
Even Japan’s own franchises Strawberry Cones, (not an ice cream store), Pizza California, and Pizza-La do booming business.
While pizza is a common food in Japan, the way it’s topped, served and delivered is far from ordinary.
Delivery
In any neighborhood in Tokyo you’ll see young guys whizzing around on three-wheeled scooters.
They don’t use their own cars (as most young people in Tokyo do not own cars) and you never have to tip. Like almost everything in Japan, your pizza will be on time, and kept piping hot in the insulated case on the back of the bike.
It will also cost you an arm and a leg for the delivery charge., not to mention the price of the pizza.
Price
Delivery Pizza is expensive in Japan. Gas prices are nearly double what they are in the U.S. and ingredients like cheese also add to the cost. A large pizza is about the size of an American small and will run you about $20-30 U.S.
So a pizza party is a special event indeed. Each person will eat one or two slices and that’s it.
Toppings
Americans like our pepperoni, sausage and veggies, some weirdoes will go as far as pineapple and ham, but Japan takes topping pizzas to a whole new level of creative freedom.
(Seaweed salad or Sea Mineral Salad anyone?)
Of course, there are wacky creations like mini-hot dog pizzas, fish eggs and seaweed.
But the most common toppings seem to be some mix of corn, potato, tuna, bacon and mayonnaise.
May sound strange but it tastes great. Especially, with Japanese mayonnaise, which is definitely superior to anything in America.
Sorry Hellman’s. But Kewpie mayo rules.
Advertising
Everyday, you’ll find some flyers for pizza, which at $30 is a serious form of torture in a land devoid of cheesy gooey goodness.
There are also tons of commercials for pizza, the most popular of which are the ones featuring The Pizza-La Girls, a trio of young girls who go gaga for Pizza-la pizzas. They’ve since become idols and have fans… If you come to Japan, give the crazy toppings a try, but make sure you bring a ton of cash.
And this February, maybe buy a Valentine pizza for your boyfriend or girlfriend.
What's your favorite pizza? Let us Know in the comments!
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