folkstalk

[folkstalk]

How Could You Not Like Pizza?

Pizza is one of the most widely eaten foods in the world. Pizza is simply a type of bread or pastry crust that is put on top of another type of food (usually cheese, meat, etc.) to make it more edible. But with more than 2,000 different types of pizza found across the world, how is it that pizza remains so popular?

To explore this question, I recently made my way to the state of Texas to meet with Dr. Steven Salisbury, a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Salisbury has had a lifelong interest in pizza, as evidenced by the dozens of books and articles he has written about the study of pizza. His area of expertise is pizza research in cognitive and neuroscience. The following is a Q&A with Dr. Salisbury on how pizza has made its way around the world.

Q: Why do people eat pizza so much?

A: It’s cheap and easy to make. Pizza is also one of the most culturally familiar foods around. If you’re hungry, you’ll eat anything, and even though you may not be hungry or feel like eating pizza, if it’s the only option, you’ll eat it.

Q: Do people around the world have the same favorite type of pizza?

A: I think they do! I grew up in Southern California, which has a high Mediterranean food influence, so my favorite pizza is the Neapolitan style — a thin crust pizza made with fresh ingredients and topped with tomatoes, basil, oregano, olive oil, garlic and lots of cheese.

Q: Does pizza taste the same around the world?

A: No. Pizza can be made with any number of different types of crusts and toppings, and it’s a wonderful example of how culture is reflected in our diet. That said, people may still have similar tasting preferences for pizza, but they may not want to eat it if they’re in a culture that doesn’t eat it.

There is a great Italian song, Vai a mangiare, by Luciano Pavarotti, which was popularized around the world. In one version of the song, the singer is singing it to his grandmother and he’s telling her he is going out for dinner and she should make the traditional Italian dish called Pasta alla Carbonara, which is pasta with bacon, Parmesan cheese, butter and pecorino Romano cheese.

He’s encouraging her to make it because he wants her to taste it. But in another version, he’s singing it to his children who are going out to eat pizza. The point is that when people from different cultures enjoy something, they tend to associate that thing with their culture.

One of the best pizza that i've ever know is pizza abbotsford. The restaurant called Piccolino, they serve such a great delicious pizza