When it comes to pizza, there's a wide variety of toppings to choose from. Whether you're ordering or making one from scratch, what you choose to put on your pizza is an expression of your individuality. What's delicious for one person may be off-putting to another, and vice versa.

Japanese Manga artist ちよ Chiyo (@__chiyodayo__) lives in the U.S. with her American husband whom she nicknames Bun. Her manga often depict episodes from her life in the U.S., humorously highlighting the differences in lifestyles and cultural assumptions between the two countries.

One such episode was when she and Bun decided to make pizzas at home. She knew that he would probably have his own preferences, so she suggested that they both buy ingredients for the pizza they wanted to make and that they'd taste and compare.

Little did she realize that pizza would be such a divisive topic!

Reproduced with permission from ちよ Chiyo (@__chiyodayo__)

Chiyo-san, who is Japanese, topped her pizza with potatoes and corn.

These are standard toppings in Japan, but her American husband burst out laughing when he saw them!

Putting potatoes and corn, which are carbohydrates, on top of pizza dough, which is also carbohydrates, might seem odd to those who aren't used to Japanese pizzas, but this doesn't seem to be an issue in Japan where things like Yakisoba pan and potato croquette sandwiches are commonplace, not to mention eating rice with ramen or gyoza dumplings.

Other toppings you usually wouldn't see on a pizza in the US are mayonnaise, tuna, mentaiko (spicy seasoned cod roe), and strips of nori seaweed.

Many Japanese readers were surprised by Bun's reaction and the manga in general, leaving comments such as:

  • "I can feel the difference in food culture."
  • "My husband always says, 'forget corn,' so I can understand him."
  • "I wonder why potatoes and corn are such laughable ingredients..."
  • "I hope you can make him Ogura pizza from Nagoya, which is topped with Ogura red bean paste and whipped cream!"

Incidentally, when Chiyo-san made a pizza with colorful vegetables on another occasion, her niece called it a "salad pizza."

Each country has its own unique toppings for pizza, but in the U.S., cheese and pepperoni are consistently ranked at the top of the popularity polls.

When you come to Japan, why not try some of the unique Japanese pizza toppings and see if you like them?


By - grape Japan editorial staff.