"South African" style pizza

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nytxn

Senior Cook
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Anyone ever heard of it? And if so, do you have any details on this style of pizza?


Crust texture? Look? taste? Methodology of making it? etc...
 
New one on me! I thought pizza was invented in Naples and then 'refined' (if you wish!) in NYC...

South African pizza sounds like an oxymoron, but I'm sure our resident SA (Sandyj) will be able to help!
 
I take it we are not just talking about some south-african style toppings on a regular pizza base? But a different way of doing a pizza?

Could hazard a guess, but its possible that chickpea flour(otherwise known as besan flour) may feature in the base (assuming we are talking a different way of making a pizza).
 
Nope, never heard of a special "South African" pizza. To be honest, the first pizzas I ever had over there were terrible, and they still seem pretty common. The base was cake-y, tomato sauce on topping was too sweet, no one seemed to have heard of mozarella, only cheddar. A lot of people called it "p-itz-a", which is fairly accurate, since it was the pits. To be fair, things have changed in the last ten years, and there may well be some new kind of special SA pizza.
 
A friend of mine went on a missions trip to Mauritus and he says they had "South African" style pizza.

He simply said it was spicy, but didn't give a whole lot of detail.
 
I've heard of it but haven't come across a recipe for one yet. I really would like to try it though
 
FWIW - I've never had mozarella cheese on a pizza in Italy. I think that's an American affectation. The pizza I've always eaten in Italy has been a local favourite, which differs from region to region and so far hasn't included mozarella.

Maybe S.A. pizza is just a new twist on the fast-food of Italy. It's probably unique and locally delicious... as it is in Italy.
 
South african pizza

I was in South Africa with my SA ex for 2 months and the pizza toppings they ate were..not shocking, but different. I remember one pizza had banana and another had a minced meat that looked ghastly, as if someone was sick on the pizza. It definitely had a Indian spicy taste to it. But it was actually nice to see something different from American pizza. The dough was the same as a Poppa Johns or Dominoes or whatever, just the toppings were different. It was interesting because KFC (this was two years ago) was huge and the first person to bring a Chipotles or quality Mexican food there, will become an instant millionaire.
 
interesting. I've never seen a Quattro Formaggi in Italy that did not have . . . .
 
South African Pizza


FWIW - I've never had mozarella cheese on a pizza in Italy. I think that's an American affectation.

One of our favorite pizzas as kids were purchased in the Mom & Pop neighborhood stores. They were made by the Italian bread bakery. They were basically focaccia bread, baked in a rectangular half sheet pan and topped with just tomato paste and "shaker cheese" which would be grated Parmigiana or Romano. You got one 4- x 4-inch square for 10¢
 
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South African Pizza




One of our favorite pizzas as kids were purchased in the Mom & Pop neighborhood stores. They were made by the Italian bread bakery. They were basically focaccia bread, baked in a rectangular half sheet pan and topped with just tomato paste and "shaker cheese" which would be grated Parmigiana or Romano. You got one 4- x 4-inch square for 10¢

That is what they call tomato pie in my area. The old Italian Mom's made it on baking day as a quick snack for the kids.
 
We have various topping for pizza in SA including Italian and American style toppings. Pizza with ham and pineapple or banana was created mainly for children since they like it and as far as meat goes, most men here don't consider food a meal without a helping of meat.
I'm South African and yes we have some odd foods but with 11 official languages and a variety of cultures most places try and cater for all.
KFC is still popular because it's cheap and a lot of locals can't afford to buy expensive foods.
We have decent Mexican foods too, you just have to know where to go.
Personally I like my pizza with tomato, mozza and basil and maybe some anchovies or artichokes if I'm in the mood.
We have thin base and pan pizza (thicker base) but most people here prefer it thin and crisp.
I would not say we have a style of pizza really, just many choices at most pizza places so we never get bored.
 
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FWIW - I've never had mozarella cheese on a pizza in Italy. I think that's an American affectation. The pizza I've always eaten in Italy has been a local favourite, which differs from region to region and so far hasn't included mozarella.

Maybe S.A. pizza is just a new twist on the fast-food of Italy. It's probably unique and locally delicious... as it is in Italy.

I can assure you that mozzarella is absolutely a key ingredient of pizza in Italy. For example, the most popular pizza from Naples is the pizza margherita (tomatoes, mozzarella, basil). There are some recipes without mozzarella, like "marinara", otherwise you always get mozzarella. Well, if the pizza is good you get mozzarella, if it's not so good they could serve you some cheaper version of it...
Maybe you can find pizzas without mozzarella if you buy them in a bakery; in some regions they call "pizza" a food that I call "focaccia"... Sometimes it's easy to get lost in the endless ocean of italian recipes, even for us Italiani... :)
And I never saw this South African pizza, but I could suggest it to my friends of the pizzeria Piccolo Arcobaleno, if someone posts the recipe!
 
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Where exactly are you guys eating pizza in SA?. I've never had a sweet tomato sauce or Indian style mince meat topping ever!I mostly eat pizza at Italian restaurants not really by fast food joints. We have an Italian Deli that delivers so I order there mostly. The base is super thin and crisp.
 
Where exactly are you guys eating pizza in SA?. I've never had a sweet tomato sauce or Indian style mince meat topping ever!I mostly eat pizza at Italian restaurants not really by fast food joints. We have an Italian Deli that delivers so I order there mostly. The base is super thin and crisp.

The foods available in every country are global now. I was once an American, eating in an Italian restaurant in Berlin, Germany where the fabulous Italian food was prepared by a Chinese chef. That place had some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten.

The location of a restaurant has so little to do with anything any more. Sure, there are local items that are not available fresh, without great cost elsewhere, but you can buy the ingredients for any cuisine in almost any spot on the globe now.

50 years ago, that wasn't the case except for the very wealthy. Now, anyone can have anything, anywhere. I love it!
 
The foods available in every country are global now. I was once an American, eating in an Italian restaurant in Berlin, Germany where the fabulous Italian food was prepared by a Chinese chef. That place had some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten.


The location of a restaurant has so little to do with anything any more. Sure, there are local items that are not available fresh, without great cost elsewhere, but you can buy the ingredients for any cuisine in almost any spot on the globe now.

50 years ago, that wasn't the case except for the very wealthy. Now, anyone can have anything, anywhere. I love it!

That explains why I don't have a clue what everyone is on about, I'm too young to have tasted mosted of it :LOL:
I had the best Indian meal ever a few months ago and I asked to speak to the chef and he was a local Motswana! He was kind enough to give me a few recipes too and invited me to come and cook with him in the kitchen whenever I feel like it :) I think it might just be because he said no one has ever asked to see him to say thank you for the lovely meal.
 
That explains why I don't have a clue what everyone is on about, I'm too young to have tasted mosted of it
I had the best Indian meal ever a few months ago and I asked to speak to the chef and he was a local Motswana! He was kind enough to give me a few recipes too and invited me to come and cook with him in the kitchen whenever I feel like it :) I think it might just be because he said no one has ever asked to see him to say thank you for the lovely meal.

I'm sure somewhere in South Africa, there is a restaurant that serves perfectly made American food...or Brazilian food. Just like everywhere now. You don't have to travel to get authentic foods from other countries. You just have to find the right chef wherever you are.
 
I'm sure somewhere in South Africa, there is a restaurant that serves perfectly made American food...or Brazilian food. Just like everywhere now. You don't have to travel to get authentic foods from other countries. You just have to find the right chef wherever you are.

We have a great Brazilian restaurant in Botswana actually! I agree, I had the best Irish stew in a Barcelona pub and some darn good Italian Ice Cream! We don't really have American foods in SA apart from the fast food chains like Mc Donalds and KFC and I only like the mash and gravy there. Not big on burgers and fried chicken unless I have a monster hangover :LOL:
 
We have a great Brazilian restaurant in Botswana actually! I agree, I had the best Irish stew in a Barcelona pub and some darn good Italian Ice Cream! We don't really have American foods in SA apart from the fast food chains like Mc Donalds and KFC and I only like the mash and gravy there. Not big on burgers and fried chicken unless I have a monster hangover :LOL:

Ahhh, so I need to come there and open an "American Home-Style Cooking" restaurant!:chef:

Hmmmmmm, wonder if it would work...:question:
 
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