How do we appeal to Taiwanese tastes, and how do we make Italians angry?
December 12, 2024 7:11 AM Subscribe
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Welp, that's enough heresy for today.
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:19 AM on December 12 [10 favorites]
Welp, that's enough heresy for today.
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:19 AM on December 12 [10 favorites]
Also, in tell me you're not a late 80s/early 90s kid without telling me you're not a late 80s/early 90s kid:
In a seemingly irrelevant twist, the turtle looked as though it had been flattened by a truck and tossed into radioactive sewage.posted by NoxAeternum at 7:24 AM on December 12 [10 favorites]
At what point is a flat piece of dough with other food on top no longer a pizza? Because it certainly seems that line was crossed at some point.
By comparison, pineapple on pizza suddenly doesn’t seem such a heresy.
posted by TedW at 7:25 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
By comparison, pineapple on pizza suddenly doesn’t seem such a heresy.
posted by TedW at 7:25 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
By comparison, pineapple on pizza suddenly doesn’t seem such a heresy.
In the same way as there being a difference between venial and mortal sin.
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:27 AM on December 12 [12 favorites]
In the same way as there being a difference between venial and mortal sin.
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:27 AM on December 12 [12 favorites]
Also, in tell me you're not a late 80s/early 90s kid without telling me you're not a late 80s/early 90s kid:
HAS to be a joke, right? That pizza could not be more of an obvious Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle unless it was carrying nunchucks.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:27 AM on December 12 [6 favorites]
HAS to be a joke, right? That pizza could not be more of an obvious Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle unless it was carrying nunchucks.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:27 AM on December 12 [6 favorites]
Each pizza is evaluated internally for flavor and shock value before launch.
I was about to comment that I worry about the “shock value after lunch” more, but realized it said “launch.”
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:29 AM on December 12 [6 favorites]
I was about to comment that I worry about the “shock value after lunch” more, but realized it said “launch.”
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:29 AM on December 12 [6 favorites]
Century egg, cilantro and blood cake pizza? That's gonna be a no from me, dawg.
posted by slkinsey at 7:34 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
posted by slkinsey at 7:34 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
Shhhh. Let people like [disgusting] things.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:34 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:34 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
Pizza purists are so damned tiresome.
Would eat. At least once.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:38 AM on December 12 [5 favorites]
Would eat. At least once.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:38 AM on December 12 [5 favorites]
I think a key part of being disgusted at this is pretending you think the Oreos are supposed to be eaten in bites that also contain fried chicken or calamari and not picked off and enjoyed separately, as pretty much anyone would choose to do here.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:41 AM on December 12 [6 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:41 AM on December 12 [6 favorites]
I love a basically harmless terrible idea put into action so very much. I will entirely leave actual attempts to eating it to people with more belief in the strength of their stomachs. Although the spicy hot pot pizza sounds like something I would try.
At what point is a flat piece of dough with other food on top no longer a pizza?
A very good question that we possibly should've considered more thoroughly when people began proposing "dessert pizza". But eh. I enjoy a low-stakes fight over finicky details, but ultimately dough with things on it is a superb human invention and it's the eating that matters.
posted by EvaDestruction at 7:48 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
At what point is a flat piece of dough with other food on top no longer a pizza?
A very good question that we possibly should've considered more thoroughly when people began proposing "dessert pizza". But eh. I enjoy a low-stakes fight over finicky details, but ultimately dough with things on it is a superb human invention and it's the eating that matters.
posted by EvaDestruction at 7:48 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
Someone recently sent me the image of a large pineapple slice with several small pizza slices atop it, labeled “Where Is Your God Now?” Seems relevant.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:52 AM on December 12 [15 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:52 AM on December 12 [15 favorites]
I forgot to recommend: do click the links to view the various pizzas. This MLB-themed pizza is brilliant, with meatballs, mozzarella, and pepperoni. Surely one couldn't object to those toppings! Surely?
posted by Pitachu at 7:52 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
posted by Pitachu at 7:52 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
Forgive them Father, for they have sinned.
posted by tommasz at 8:03 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 8:03 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
I remember seeing (and eating!) some truly terrible pizzas when I lived in China 15 years ago, and the American chains were just starting to push some of these monstrosities. Corn was a very popular topping, and not that weird in the scheme of things. Pizza Hut was a popular place to go and for a while, there were people who did their best to game the single-visit self-serve salad bars.
Oh, also these cheeseburger pizzas from Pizza Hut in Dubai.
posted by msbrauer at 8:06 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
Oh, also these cheeseburger pizzas from Pizza Hut in Dubai.
posted by msbrauer at 8:06 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure I agree that's a TMNT turtle. TMNT turtles have people arms and legs. That's just a pizza turtle, and searching for mental models makes you think it's a TMNT turtle.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:09 AM on December 12
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:09 AM on December 12
I'm not sure I agree that's a TMNT turtle.
It's wearing a mask, dude!
posted by SPrintF at 8:20 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
It's wearing a mask, dude!
posted by SPrintF at 8:20 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
purists are so damned tiresome
I would argue it's impossible to be a food purist (in the "authenticity" sense, not in the "please don't contain poison and lethal microbes" sense) and still be a good person.
posted by aramaic at 8:22 AM on December 12
I would argue it's impossible to be a food purist (in the "authenticity" sense, not in the "please don't contain poison and lethal microbes" sense) and still be a good person.
posted by aramaic at 8:22 AM on December 12
I support pizza innovation.
posted by mazola at 8:26 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
posted by mazola at 8:26 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
As soon as I swallowed my first bite of pizza in the U.K. with sweet corn on it, circa 1986, I knew I was lost. But since then, fearing nothing, I have tried many more meals calling themselves "pizza" with few actual disappointments.
Oreos, though...I dunno.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:29 AM on December 12
Oreos, though...I dunno.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:29 AM on December 12
And I thought flaming hot Cheeto pizza was bad.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:31 AM on December 12
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:31 AM on December 12
At what point is a flat piece of dough with other food on top no longer a pizza? Because it certainly seems that line was crossed at some point.
Do not go down this path again. We’ve already suffered through two “What is a Sandwich Wars.” Learn from Metafilter history or be doomed to repeat it.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 8:32 AM on December 12 [9 favorites]
Do not go down this path again. We’ve already suffered through two “What is a Sandwich Wars.” Learn from Metafilter history or be doomed to repeat it.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 8:32 AM on December 12 [9 favorites]
My god I love Taiwan
posted by potrzebie at 8:34 AM on December 12 [7 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 8:34 AM on December 12 [7 favorites]
Speaking of making Italians angry. The history of pizza is fascinating and it’s a fairly new introduction to most of Italy. A recent book, the name of which I can’t remember (!), examined how most of what we think of as Italian cuisine is fairly modern and the entire “true Italian version” was a concerted effort by government agencies. Pizza was made popular but American GI’s after WWII and was mostly unknown in northern Italy.
Anyway, someone here might have the book name which would be more informed than my half-remembering a podcast interview with the author.
posted by misterpatrick at 8:34 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
Anyway, someone here might have the book name which would be more informed than my half-remembering a podcast interview with the author.
posted by misterpatrick at 8:34 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
Honestly, I am down for that Boba pizza 100%. I love a dessert pizza and I love Boba and if I could order that right now on UberEats I would already have done so.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:36 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
posted by jacquilynne at 8:36 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
I mean, are these really terrible ideas? I personally wouldn't, like, eat the bite of pizza with the oreo on it in the same mouthful as the calamari, but the already slightly-sweet pizza dough plus an oreo doesn't strike me as particularly inedible, and I don't see any reason why you can have, eg, buffalo chicken pizza but not squid and chicken pizza.
Most of the pizzas described in the article sound interesting - "what if Taiwanese flavor but on a pizza" would be something that I would try. Pizza dough is basically a neutral when it's the pizza hut kind.
Granted, as the company says, eventually epater-ing the pizza customer stops being an effective strategy, but these sound a LOT better than similar epater-the-customer Starbucks drinks, which are really just "sweet, no sweeter and now add cotton candy".
Admittedly, I find "our product is SO TRANSGRESSIVE it makes people MAD" to be a strategy that was played out within about five minutes back in 1993.
posted by Frowner at 8:39 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
Most of the pizzas described in the article sound interesting - "what if Taiwanese flavor but on a pizza" would be something that I would try. Pizza dough is basically a neutral when it's the pizza hut kind.
Granted, as the company says, eventually epater-ing the pizza customer stops being an effective strategy, but these sound a LOT better than similar epater-the-customer Starbucks drinks, which are really just "sweet, no sweeter and now add cotton candy".
Admittedly, I find "our product is SO TRANSGRESSIVE it makes people MAD" to be a strategy that was played out within about five minutes back in 1993.
posted by Frowner at 8:39 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
Mister Patrick, this post may be related to the book you remember.
posted by TedW at 8:44 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
posted by TedW at 8:44 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
Enh, it's all dark inside my stomach anyway.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:47 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:47 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
Capt. Renault? More like Capt. Spaulding!
The Oreo monstrosity looks like a good meal-in-a-slice model with dessert at the rim. Quite practical.
But I have to speak a word in favor of food absolutists: things like “what’s a real pot of chili” or “what ingredients are absolutely forbidden in a PB&J” function like reading an advice column (e.g., Ann Landers or the horrible one in the NYT)—they allow me to feel superior to the rest of the world for a minute (either on the pro or the con side—doesn’t really matter which). And isn’t that helpful to the ego, which is what separates us from (some of) the animals?
As an earlier poster put it, it’s incredibly low-stakes, like arguing which of the songs in The Lord of the Rings is the worst.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 9:10 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
The Oreo monstrosity looks like a good meal-in-a-slice model with dessert at the rim. Quite practical.
But I have to speak a word in favor of food absolutists: things like “what’s a real pot of chili” or “what ingredients are absolutely forbidden in a PB&J” function like reading an advice column (e.g., Ann Landers or the horrible one in the NYT)—they allow me to feel superior to the rest of the world for a minute (either on the pro or the con side—doesn’t really matter which). And isn’t that helpful to the ego, which is what separates us from (some of) the animals?
As an earlier poster put it, it’s incredibly low-stakes, like arguing which of the songs in The Lord of the Rings is the worst.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 9:10 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
Pizza as we know it is an American dish using New World ingredients, but I guess offending Americans isn't as strong a marketing move.
posted by GoblinHoney at 9:20 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
posted by GoblinHoney at 9:20 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
As an American who made it through grad school camping out in the back of a mainland Chinese pizzeria—whose mango, pineapple and grape pizza was the best of their lineup—I can absolutely endorse some of these. Blood cake isn’t my favorite thing but with century egg and cilantro I’d give it a whirl.
I just don’t want people to sleep on the last line of the story, which sends Marco Polo directly to the burn unit.
posted by Playdoughnails at 9:36 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
I just don’t want people to sleep on the last line of the story, which sends Marco Polo directly to the burn unit.
posted by Playdoughnails at 9:36 AM on December 12 [4 favorites]
My mother is not an adventurous eater. Her position is not unreasonable even if I don't personally agree with it: She doesn't go out to eat very often so when she does go out she sticks to things she knows she likes. She doesn't want to waste one of her limited number of restaurant meals on something and feel disappointed by it. Fair enough.
This means that when we get together my job is to take her places and order things she otherwise wouldn't try. I've usually vetted the food ahead of time and it's on my dime so even if something isn't particularly to her tastes it's close enough that the experience isn't a bad one and she doesn't feel bad that she's spent her money on something she didn't like.
A few years ago I took my parents to Bossa Nova in Los Angeles and at the conclusion of the meal I ordered a banana pizza for the table. This is a mild dessert dish and not especially adventurous by my standards but my mom was skeptical until she tried it; she ended up loving it.
A few months later at a family gathering my father told me he wished I'd never introduced her to that pizza, because for months every conversation she had with anyone to whom she talked was exclusively about how she'd visited her son and she'd had a banana pizza. A BANANA pizza, can you believe it? BANANA pizza!
Anyway, the banana pizza was really good.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:36 AM on December 12 [19 favorites]
This means that when we get together my job is to take her places and order things she otherwise wouldn't try. I've usually vetted the food ahead of time and it's on my dime so even if something isn't particularly to her tastes it's close enough that the experience isn't a bad one and she doesn't feel bad that she's spent her money on something she didn't like.
A few years ago I took my parents to Bossa Nova in Los Angeles and at the conclusion of the meal I ordered a banana pizza for the table. This is a mild dessert dish and not especially adventurous by my standards but my mom was skeptical until she tried it; she ended up loving it.
A few months later at a family gathering my father told me he wished I'd never introduced her to that pizza, because for months every conversation she had with anyone to whom she talked was exclusively about how she'd visited her son and she'd had a banana pizza. A BANANA pizza, can you believe it? BANANA pizza!
Anyway, the banana pizza was really good.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:36 AM on December 12 [19 favorites]
I remember a radio show where someone called a famous pizza chef in Italy, and tried to describe American Pizza to him. Once they got to the tomato sauce he raised his voice and spat "Eh, that's focaccia!"
So I mean, feel free to gatekeep pizza if you want, but just know that you're not the ones who designed the gate.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 9:37 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
So I mean, feel free to gatekeep pizza if you want, but just know that you're not the ones who designed the gate.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 9:37 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
The turtle one kind of looks like Gamera.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:41 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:41 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
AirFyer tiktok is about 40% people just turning everything into pizza.
posted by srboisvert at 10:07 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 10:07 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
Eat the Thing That Should Not Be
posted by Lemkin at 10:10 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
posted by Lemkin at 10:10 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
I enjoy this new age of fast food chains committing to the bit. Using chicken patties as buns, ridiculous pizzas, whatever. The food is secondary to the spectacle. Which is fine. With fast food the food is always going to be secondary to something.
posted by rikschell at 10:20 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
posted by rikschell at 10:20 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
Honestly, only the Oreos strike me as a firm no-go - take the Oreos off, and that sounds like a good pizza. Not sure about the boba pizza - sweet pizzas are not for me. But the century egg, cilantro, and pig blood cake pizza looks good.
posted by coffeecat at 10:30 AM on December 12
posted by coffeecat at 10:30 AM on December 12
At what point is a flat piece of dough with other food on top no longer a pizza?
Apple tech éminence grise John Siracusa has a podcast called Robot or Not that does nothing but wrestle with such questions and he has you covered.
posted by Lemkin at 10:44 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
Apple tech éminence grise John Siracusa has a podcast called Robot or Not that does nothing but wrestle with such questions and he has you covered.
posted by Lemkin at 10:44 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
Eat the Thing That Should Not Be
Sounds a little skeevy, Lemkin.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:47 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
Sounds a little skeevy, Lemkin.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:47 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
It's all fun and games until Panda Express Italia releases their sweet and sour eggplant parmesan zeppole eggdrop soup cones.
posted by PlusDistance at 11:20 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
posted by PlusDistance at 11:20 AM on December 12 [3 favorites]
At what point is a flat piece of dough with other food on top no longer a pizza?
Or, at what point does a folded slice of pizza become a taco?
posted by Thorzdad at 11:24 AM on December 12
Or, at what point does a folded slice of pizza become a taco?
posted by Thorzdad at 11:24 AM on December 12
🤢
Some things should not be eaten together. Hard no from me. I'm not an Oreo cookie fan anyway, so I'm not overly tempted by Oreos and normal things.
A BANANA pizza, can you believe it? BANANA pizza!
She doesn't want to waste one of her limited number of restaurant meals on something and feel disappointed by it.
I'd try it on someone else's nickel. Parasite Unseen, I'm with your mom. I don't get out that often to where when I do, it's a real treat, and I want to enjoy it thoroughly. Meal prices are so high and new restaurants with excellent food are always a crapshoot. Even the experience at old favorites hasn't been as good as it used to be. Inexperienced help/cooks? Cooksnot getting paid enough to care? Problems sourcing good ingredients? Ubiquity of pre-packaged meals from Sysco and other livestock feeders?
posted by BlueHorse at 11:33 AM on December 12
Some things should not be eaten together. Hard no from me. I'm not an Oreo cookie fan anyway, so I'm not overly tempted by Oreos and normal things.
A BANANA pizza, can you believe it? BANANA pizza!
She doesn't want to waste one of her limited number of restaurant meals on something and feel disappointed by it.
I'd try it on someone else's nickel. Parasite Unseen, I'm with your mom. I don't get out that often to where when I do, it's a real treat, and I want to enjoy it thoroughly. Meal prices are so high and new restaurants with excellent food are always a crapshoot. Even the experience at old favorites hasn't been as good as it used to be. Inexperienced help/cooks? Cooksnot getting paid enough to care? Problems sourcing good ingredients? Ubiquity of pre-packaged meals from Sysco and other livestock feeders?
posted by BlueHorse at 11:33 AM on December 12
As a former Pizza Hut employee I find every single element of this story utterly delightful.
Or, at what point does a folded slice of pizza become a taco?
Picture it: A Pizza Hut during the early to mid-1990’s in a small town in central PA. A taco pizza made with a refried bean base and cheddar cheese, topped with Pace picante sauce, shredded lettuce and more cheddar cheese. It was one of the store’s best sellers and only available at a handful of locations.
It was also an utter nightmare to make as a pan pizza as the base was so thick it would rip the dough when we spread it.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 11:50 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
Or, at what point does a folded slice of pizza become a taco?
Picture it: A Pizza Hut during the early to mid-1990’s in a small town in central PA. A taco pizza made with a refried bean base and cheddar cheese, topped with Pace picante sauce, shredded lettuce and more cheddar cheese. It was one of the store’s best sellers and only available at a handful of locations.
It was also an utter nightmare to make as a pan pizza as the base was so thick it would rip the dough when we spread it.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 11:50 AM on December 12 [2 favorites]
Century egg, cilantro and blood cake pizza sounds very promising actually.
posted by of strange foe at 11:55 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
posted by of strange foe at 11:55 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]
they're all good pizzas brent
posted by mazola at 12:01 PM on December 12 [5 favorites]
posted by mazola at 12:01 PM on December 12 [5 favorites]
I am the opposite of a pizza snob. A margarita pizza from Milan, a deep dish Chicago, New York cheese slice, a Domino's: some I like more than others, but they all can be called pizza. Some people (glares at people in this thread) want to gatekeep what pizza even is, but if it's got crust, sauce, cheese, and is baked for a while, by golly that's pizza in my book.
This, though...well. Dear Lord. Pizza Hut Taiwan is really testing my patience with this.
posted by zardoz at 12:11 PM on December 12 [1 favorite]
This, though...well. Dear Lord. Pizza Hut Taiwan is really testing my patience with this.
posted by zardoz at 12:11 PM on December 12 [1 favorite]
I like all those things separately, so…
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:16 PM on December 12 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:16 PM on December 12 [1 favorite]
People who yuck others' yums just leave more for them to enjoy.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:22 PM on December 12
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:22 PM on December 12
This is one of those times I especially miss matteo. His opinion would be of value. I wonder if he is still with us in body and spirit on this mortal plane. I certainly hope so.
posted by y2karl at 12:30 PM on December 12
posted by y2karl at 12:30 PM on December 12
And I thought *I* was sick in the head.
Maybe this whole China mainland vs Taiwan should be put to rest. Sun-Yat Sen should be rolling in his grave right now.
posted by symbioid at 12:38 PM on December 12
Maybe this whole China mainland vs Taiwan should be put to rest. Sun-Yat Sen should be rolling in his grave right now.
posted by symbioid at 12:38 PM on December 12
These pizzas are really only weird if you imagine each of them as a single dish. If you understand them as various courses arranged separately and occasionally sort of artfully within different sections of the same crust, it really ceases to seem like that big a deal.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:46 PM on December 12 [4 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:46 PM on December 12 [4 favorites]
I always wonder if any of the pizza purists have been to an actual pizza slice place in Rome. I'm not thinking of the fancy Roscioli, which I don't like much, but the normal cheap ones. They have every topping one can ever imagine, sweet and savory. And they change all the time. Nutella and figs is pretty pleasing.
Now what they don't have is a sweet dough, which is the main reason I don't like Pizza Hut. I don't like sweet dough, even if there is just a teaspoon of sugar in it, so I am quite picky. I also prefer a thin layer of sauce rather than a bowl. But that's just me.
So all the luck to Taiwanese Pizza Hut.
posted by mumimor at 1:36 PM on December 12 [4 favorites]
Now what they don't have is a sweet dough, which is the main reason I don't like Pizza Hut. I don't like sweet dough, even if there is just a teaspoon of sugar in it, so I am quite picky. I also prefer a thin layer of sauce rather than a bowl. But that's just me.
So all the luck to Taiwanese Pizza Hut.
posted by mumimor at 1:36 PM on December 12 [4 favorites]
Don't yuck my yuck.
posted by spilon at 1:44 PM on December 12 [3 favorites]
posted by spilon at 1:44 PM on December 12 [3 favorites]
A taco pizza made with a refried bean base and cheddar cheese, topped with Pace picante sauce, shredded lettuce and more cheddar cheese.
I knew I wasn't inventing that memory! Late '80s (maybe 1990), in Los Alamos NM. Honestly I'm not sure I would have minded the pizza if I had known it would have refried beans instead of a tomato sauce, but that wasn't clear to me. It was more like I saw the cheese, lettuce, etc, and was like "Oh, it's like they just used taco garnishes as pizza toppings! Sounds great!" I would have been much less disappointed if I had known to expect "basically a deep dish tostada" or something.
posted by nickmark at 1:58 PM on December 12 [1 favorite]
I knew I wasn't inventing that memory! Late '80s (maybe 1990), in Los Alamos NM. Honestly I'm not sure I would have minded the pizza if I had known it would have refried beans instead of a tomato sauce, but that wasn't clear to me. It was more like I saw the cheese, lettuce, etc, and was like "Oh, it's like they just used taco garnishes as pizza toppings! Sounds great!" I would have been much less disappointed if I had known to expect "basically a deep dish tostada" or something.
posted by nickmark at 1:58 PM on December 12 [1 favorite]
I'm a pretty unadventurous eater, so none of these hold much attraction to me, but it's an impressive marketing ploy and so very Taiwanese.
I'm not sure I agree that's a TMNT turtle.
That's clearly and immediately identifiable as a TMNT to anyone who actually watched the series when it was new and was subjected to the advertising for all the merch spin-offs.
I guess offending Americans isn't as strong a marketing move.
More likely it's that offending Americans is just too easy. There'd be no need for bizarre ingredients, just call it a sandwich.
posted by dg at 3:51 PM on December 12
I'm not sure I agree that's a TMNT turtle.
That's clearly and immediately identifiable as a TMNT to anyone who actually watched the series when it was new and was subjected to the advertising for all the merch spin-offs.
I guess offending Americans isn't as strong a marketing move.
More likely it's that offending Americans is just too easy. There'd be no need for bizarre ingredients, just call it a sandwich.
posted by dg at 3:51 PM on December 12
"At what point is a flat piece of dough with other food on top no longer a pizza?"
Never. Just like smoothies are actually cold soups.
posted by stormyteal at 6:49 PM on December 12
Never. Just like smoothies are actually cold soups.
posted by stormyteal at 6:49 PM on December 12
for every influencer, there is an outfluencer
Upon posting, I don't know what this means. I have become the doublestuffed oreo crust.
posted by not_on_display at 7:09 PM on December 12 [2 favorites]
Upon posting, I don't know what this means. I have become the doublestuffed oreo crust.
posted by not_on_display at 7:09 PM on December 12 [2 favorites]
I always wonder if any of the pizza purists have been to an actual pizza slice place in Rome. I'm not thinking of the fancy Roscioli, which I don't like much, but the normal cheap ones. They have every topping one can ever imagine, sweet and savory. And they change all the time. Nutella and figs is pretty pleasing.
Pooh-poohing "Italian" food to me is absolutely learned behaviour from American pop culture, but even I didn't realise how deeply I had it until I was in Milan, and firstly getting told off for asking why the minestrone soup had no tomatoes and then later discovering the local pizza for Xmas/NY season is a concoction involving beans and sausage and something else (can't recall because I have no sense memory as it was porky so didn't partake). Since then I'm just like, a) it's all pizza; and b) the US Navy pantry logistics has a lot to answer for when it comes to culinary "crimes" in Asia Pacific. (Edit: Google "pizza bun asian")
posted by cendawanita at 9:58 PM on December 12
Pooh-poohing "Italian" food to me is absolutely learned behaviour from American pop culture, but even I didn't realise how deeply I had it until I was in Milan, and firstly getting told off for asking why the minestrone soup had no tomatoes and then later discovering the local pizza for Xmas/NY season is a concoction involving beans and sausage and something else (can't recall because I have no sense memory as it was porky so didn't partake). Since then I'm just like, a) it's all pizza; and b) the US Navy pantry logistics has a lot to answer for when it comes to culinary "crimes" in Asia Pacific. (Edit: Google "pizza bun asian")
posted by cendawanita at 9:58 PM on December 12
I genuinely can’t tell if through long and careful thought, examination of the arguments, and nuanced reflection I’ve come to understand the essential imprecision and ambiguity of culinary and cultural categories, and of how linguistic meaning is itself a fluid, subjective and shifting thing, or if I merely no longer give a single actual fuck if a thing is or is not a sandwich
posted by Jon Mitchell at 10:00 PM on December 12 [2 favorites]
posted by Jon Mitchell at 10:00 PM on December 12 [2 favorites]
I cover Taiwan for work, and the Pizza Hut flavors always make the news. It’s a great marketing strategy! I have eaten only one, though, the northern zongzi one. It was quite good!
I love this article, so happy to see it here. Clarissa said she had been thinking of writing it for a long time.
posted by gemmy at 2:04 AM on December 13
I love this article, so happy to see it here. Clarissa said she had been thinking of writing it for a long time.
posted by gemmy at 2:04 AM on December 13
At what point is a flat piece of dough with other food on top no longer a pizza?
Or, at what point does a folded slice of pizza become a taco?
You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of taste. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the Calzone!
posted by chavenet at 2:23 AM on December 13 [4 favorites]
Or, at what point does a folded slice of pizza become a taco?
You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of taste. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the Calzone!
posted by chavenet at 2:23 AM on December 13 [4 favorites]
the US Navy pantry logistics has a lot to answer for when it comes to culinary "crimes" in Asia Pacific
They certainly do
posted by yyz at 6:31 AM on December 13 [1 favorite]
What IS pizza these days?
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:13 AM on December 13
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:13 AM on December 13
A miserable little pile of secrets.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 7:36 AM on December 13 [2 favorites]
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 7:36 AM on December 13 [2 favorites]
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Would try.
posted by gauche at 7:16 AM on December 12 [7 favorites]