Kevin Hansen
One of the things I love about pizza is the infinite topping combination possibilities. You can make a pizza for meat lovers, a vegan pizza, and everything in between. You can mix sweet, salty, savory, and umami in new and interesting ways using flavors from all four corners of the world.
Most people in the United States are familiar with traditional Italian and Italian American pizza toppings. And those are awesome, of course! But did you know that you can put seaweed on pizza? Or corn? Or mayonnaise? These unusual toppings are not so unusual in Japan. Or how about cinnamon and pickled ginger? These toppings are popular in Palestine and India, respectively.
Inspired by these unfamiliar toppings, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of all the delicious toppings that folks put on pizzas in different parts of the world. I’ve organized the lists by continent and then by country. I also have a list of toppings from Italy and Italian American immigrants that are probably already familiar to you for the most part, so I’ll include those at the end.
Table of Contents
Pizza Toppings in Asia
Japan
- yellow corn
- rice cake (mochi)
- kelp seaweed (kombu)
- baby anchovies and sardines
- oysters
- squid ink
- shrimp
- crab
- squid
- scallops
- cod roe (fish eggs)
- tiny dried shrimp (sakura ebi)
- pickled mackerel (saba)
- cod fish sperm (shirako) [source]
- fermented soy bean (natto and miso)
- teriyaki chicken and hamburger
- bitter melon
- barbecue pork (chashu)
- potato
- asparagus
Japanese pizzas are often drizzled with Kewpie brand mayonnaise. I’ve had it, it’s good! The Domino’s Japan and Pizza-La menus are super interesting—you can really tell how popular seafood and mayonnaise are!
Mainland China
- Korean pear
- pork belly
- green peas
- egg yolk
- crayfish
- durian
- ketchup
- deep-fried frog
South Korea
- beef bulgogi
- seafood
Vietnam
- mango
- lychee
- lemongrass
- shrimp and other seafood
- mayonnaise
India
- corn
- chicken tikka (spiced yogurt)
- peri-peri chicken (African bird’s eye chili)
- tandoori masala (spice mix that includes coriander and cumin)
- paneer cheese
- pickled ginger
One striking thing about the Indian Domino’s website is how separated the vegetarian pizza menu is from the non-veg pizzas. It feels like it was a deliberate decision to make it easy for vegetarians to avoid seeing any meat-based items, but I’m speculating!
Pakistan
- Mughlai sauce (cashew nut and cream spiced curry)
- tikka
- peri-peri
- pickled cucumber
- seekh kebab (spiced meat skewer)
Russia
- mockba (tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon, and onions) [source]
Pizza Toppings in Australia / Oceania
Australia
Most pizza in Australia is not very different from what Americans are used to, but there is one pizza called “Aussie pizza” that’s worth calling out. Aussie pizza is tomato or barbecue sauce with cheese, bacon, ham, and eggs. In the U.S., it might be called a breakfast pizza.
Other notable toppings include:
- kangaroo [source]
- crocodile
New Zealand
- cranberry sauce
- apricot sauce
- mayo
- shrimp
Pizza Toppings in Europe (Excluding Italy)
France
- crème fraîche
- goat cheese
- Heinz burger sauce
- merguez sausage
- honey
- Swiss cheese (Emmental)
- potato
- salted and dried ham (jambon cru)
- apple
Fondue-inspired pizza creations are also popular!
Germany
- pickled cucumber
- romaine lettuce
- mayo/salad dressing (salatmayonnaise)
- salami
- cocktail sauce
- corn
- broccoli
United Kingdom
- Roquito peppers
- cranberry drizzle
- goat cheese
- hot honey
- spicy ‘nduja (spreadable pork sausage from Italy)
Netherlands
- Grimbergen cheese
- falafel
- tuna
Hungary
- corn
- cherry tomatoes
Iceland
The Pizza Hut menu in Iceland would be right at home in the United States … except for one thing: cream cheese! I guess they really like cream cheese in Iceland. Here are some other interesting toppings in Iceland:
- hazelnuts
- apples
- salted cod
- hot dogs
- boiled potatoes
- bananas [source]
Pizza Toppics in Africa and the Middle East
Israel
- green olives
- feta cheese
- corn [source]
Palestine
- cinnamon
- nutmeg [source]
Kenya
- kachumbari (fresh tomato and onion salad relish)
- peri-peri
Ghana
- chichinga (spiced peanut grilled chicken or beef kebab)
Pizza Toppings in North America (Excluding Italian American)
United States
- Boston: lobster
- California-style
- fresh produce and imported flavors (e.g., carrots and Thai peanut sauce à la California Pizza Kitchen)
- smoked salmon and caviar
- Colorado: honey served on the side
- New England Greek style: Kalamata olives and feta cheese
- St. Louis: Provel cheese, a smokey processed cheese made from provolone, Swiss, and cheddar
- Hawaii: Spam
- Trendy: Hot honey has become very popular among my family and friends in the last couple of years. Even my mom likes it, and she’s picky!
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Canada
Most Canadian pizza looks like American pizza, but here are a few standout unique toppings to highlight anyway:
- maple bacon
- butter chicken (made with Indian spices)
- poutine (french fries, cheese curds, and gravy)
- smoked salmon
- Montreal-style pepperoni (thicker and spicier than typical pepperoni) [source]
Mexico
- chorizo
- jalapeño
- bacon
Pizza Toppings in South America
Brazil
- corn
- hard-boiled egg
- cream cheese
Chile
- chorizo
Ecuador
- dry-cured ham (jamón)
Pizza Toppings from Italy and Italian Immigrants
- sausage
- ham
- sardines
- oregano
- basil
- rosemary
- olives and olive oil
- dozens of varieties of cheese, including: mozzarella, fontina, gorgonzola, ricotta, and stracchino
- figs
- mushrooms
- artichokes
- tomato
- onion
- pepperoni (invented by immigrants to the United States from Italy)—learn more about old world pepperoni
- Calabrian chili paste. I love this stuff.
[The Amazon product below is an affiliate link.]
Where to Find Out More
I recommend browsing the international menus from Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s if you’re looking to learn more or just want to be entertained. (The Google Translate Chrome extension is handy if you are using Chrome as your web browser.) It’s fascinating how some countries have menus that are almost indistinguishable, while others are as different as night and day. The Wikipedia community also maintains their own list of pizza varieties by country that’s worth diving into.
What are your favorite pizza toppings? Are there any big ones missing from this list? Please leave a comment if so!
