Pizza, the ultimate comfort food that the Italians gifted us, is famous around the world. When it comes to pizzas, people have quickly welcomed it with open arms and invented many variations, from the classic margherita pizza to the Chicago Deep Dish.
Fear not, below is a list of the common vocab terms you have to master so that you can impress your Chinese friends the next when you are ordering pizzas at an eatery.
1. Pepperoni Pizza 意大利红肠披萨
Pepperoni pizza is an American pizza variety that has many different versions of Chinese names. While some Chinese prefer to call it 帕帕罗尼披萨 pàpàluōní pīsà, others have come up with many creative names including 胡椒香肠披萨 hújiāo xiāngcháng pīsà, 传统美式腊肠披萨 Chuántǒng měishì làcháng pīsà, 意大利红肠披萨 yìdàlì hóng cháng pīsà.
Pepperoni is usually made from 碎牛肉 suì niúròu (ground beef) and 碎猪肉 suì zhūròu (ground pork) mixed together and then seasoned with a blend that usually includes 辣椒粉 Làjiāo fěn (paprika), 蒜 suàn (garlic), 黑胡椒 hēi hújiāo (black pepper), 红辣椒碎 hóng làjiāo suì (crushed red pepper), and 小茴香籽 xiǎo huíxiāng zǐ (fennel seed) before being salted and cured.
Fun fact, pepperoni first appeared in Italian markets in the US following WWI, when Italian merchants tweaked their salami recipes to incorporate readily available ingredients, the most dominant of which was paprika, added in as a substitute to the dried chili found in Neapolitan and Calabrese-style dry salami.
Where to find it:
For classic American pepperoni, look no further than either Tube Station or Joe's Pizza*.
2. Neapolitan Pizza 那不勒斯披萨
Neapolitan Pizza, also known as 那不勒斯披萨 Nàbùlèsī pīsà in Chinese, is one of the oldest and most famous types of pizza. This delicious pizza can be traced back to Naples, Italy in the 18th century. Some typical Chinese vocab for Neapolitan pizza toppings you have to know include 马苏里拉奶酪 mǎsūlǐlā nǎilào (mozzarella cheese)，番茄 fānqié (tomatoes）, 罗勒叶 luólè yè (basil leaves), 牛至 niú zhì (oregano), and 橄榄油 gǎnlǎn yóu (Olive oil).
Neapolitan pizzas also come with two common flavors. One is called 水手披萨 Shuǐshǒu pīsà (Pizza Marinara) in Chinese, which is one of the oldest Neapolitan pizza that is usually topped with tomatoes, oregano, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and often basil leaves with no cheese. The other is called 玛格丽特披萨 Mǎgélìtè pīsà (Pizza Margherita). It is believed that Pizza Margherita got its name from Margherita of Savoy, the first Queen of Italy.
Where to find it:
Neapolitan pizza can be found in Beijing at Bottega*, La Pizza, Il Fuoco, and a few other spots around the capital (check this article for details).
3. Chicago-Style Pizza 芝加哥披萨
Chicago pizza 芝加哥披萨 Zhījiāgē pīsà, also commonly known as 深盘披萨 Shēn pán pīsà (deep-dish pizza) in Chinese, got its name from the city where it was born. It has a thick crust and it's baked in a round steel pan that resembles a pie pan. Here are some common toppings in Chinese you need to know. Chicago pizza is typically served with 碎牛肉 Suì niúròu (ground beef), 香肠 Xiāngcháng (sausage), 意大利辣香肠 Yìdàlì là xiāngcháng (pepperoni), 洋葱 Yángcōng (onions), and 青胡椒 Qīng hújiāo (green peppers). Some places might even sprinkle 帕尔马干酪 Pà'ěrmǎ gānlào (parmesan cheese) on the pizza.
Where to find it:
Beijing is home to one Chicago-style pizza joint, Yummy Box, where you can try the only deep dish pizza in town.
4.New York-Style Pizza 纽约风格披萨
Known for its signature 可折叠的大披萨片 Kě zhédié de dà pīsà piàn (large foldable slices) and 酥脆的外皮 Sūcuì de wàipí (crispy outer crust), New York-style Pizza is one of the most famous regional pizzas in the United States. New York-style pizza usually features tomato sauce and mozzarella. Unlike Neapolitan pizza, New York-style pizza is more laden with toppings such as 意大利腊香肠 yìdàlì là xiāngcháng (pepperoni), 香肠 xiāngcháng (sausage), 蘑菇 mógū (mushrooms), and 凤尾鱼 fèngwěiyú (anchovies).
Where to find it:
While the aforementioned Joe's Pizza* and Tube Station do New York-style pies, you can also find great New York-style pizza at Great Leap's* Lido and Xianyuanli locations.
5.California-Style Pizza 加州披萨
California-style pizza 加州披萨 Jiāzhōu pīsà is known for its unique toppings. Originating in the 1980s, the pizza gets extremely creative with toppings that include 鸡肉 jīròu (chicken), 芥末 Jièmò (mustard), 山羊奶酪 shānyáng nǎilào (goat's cheese), 牛油果 niúyóuguǒ (avocado), and 西兰花 xī lánhuā (broccoli).
Where to find it:
While there aren't any proper California pizza spots in the capital per se, the pizza that infokes the playful flavors of California pizza for us has to be the Nordica at Forno* (RMB 129), which combines salmon, zucchini, dill, goats cheese, mozzarella, and pink peppercorns on a plain dough base with olve oil.
6. Detroit-Style pizza 底特律风格披萨
Detroit-style pizza is known for its 厚的 Hòu de （thick), 长方形的 chángfāngxíng de (rectangular) pizza shape (thanks to the use of blue steel industrial pans to make the original pizza in the 1940s) that comes with delicious 融化的芝士 rónghuà de zhīshì (melted cheese). Although Detroit-style pizza is a variation of the 西西里披萨 Xīxīlǐ pīsà Sicilian pizza, it sets itself apart from Sicilian pizza with its cheese-covered crust, which is so crispy that the cheese is even slightly 烧焦的 shāo jiāo de (burned). Detroit-style is usually topped with 砖型奶酪 zhuān xíng nǎilào (brick cheese), 意大利辣香肠 yìdàlì là xiāngcháng (pepperoni), and 红酱汁 Hóng jiàng zhī (red sauce), featuring a crispy cheese crust all the way round the edges.
Where to find it:
You can get Detroit-style pizza at Beijing's one and only Detroit pizza purveyor and 2021 Pizza Cup champion Pie Squared.
Beijing is in the midst of 2023 Cheesy Pizza Month, so if you're a pizza fanatic like us, then now until Feb 13 is the best time to get out and try some pizza from participating venues!
Venues with an asterisk (*) mentioned in this article are taking part in Pizza Month, but for a full list and how to take part, check this link here, or add TBJ Butler on WeChat (QR code below) and ask to join our dedicated Pizza Month WeChat group (be sure to specify English or Chinese language).
Also, don't hesitate to vote for your favorite pizza in our Cheesy Pizza Cup, which is now in the Sweet 16.
Read:Mandarin Monday: What’s With All the Sheep Memes? A Look at Covid Slang
Images: Unsplash, courtesy of Pie Squared, Joe's Pizza, Yummy Box, Tube Station