While Sweden is known in the food world for its meatballs served with mash and gravy, Swedish pizzas have been going viral on social media after people share the country’s unusual toppings
When you think about Swedish food, meatballs from IKEA will probably the first thing that pops up in your head. And while they’re great, it’s not the only food us Swedes should be known for.
I’ve lived in the UK for six years, having moved here in 2018 for uni. Even though I now consider it my home, there are still things I miss and try my best to get my hands on whenever I go to visit my family. One of these things is the Swedish pizza.
While it might sounds strange that Sweden has its own pizza version, since the dish was famously created in Italy, a country on the other side of the continent, the Swedish people have managed to make it fit in with its diverse people and culture.
What makes Swedish pizza different from that of the rest of the world usually comes down to the toppings. While the classic Margherita, Hawaiian and pepperoni pizzas will be available on most menus, there’ are toppings that will make people confused. Why not try them out this National Pizza Day (February 9) and see what you think?
Most popular pizza toppings in Sweden
One pizza topping in particular has caused a stir on social media, as people realise another fruit more controversial than pineapple is available as a topping – bananas.
The pizza in question has many different names, but it commonly referred to as the Afrikana and includes sliced banana, curry powder, and peanuts as toppings. Sometimes, it’s also served with added chicken.
One person took to X to share: “Yes, I tried AFRIKANA, pineapple and banana pizza in Sweden. It was probably top 3 worse things I ever tried in my life.”
“People have no right to make this abomination,” declared another on a Reddit thread discussing ‘Pizza Crimes’. One even dubbed the banana pizza “a hot circle of garbage.”
However, other’s were quick to defend the pizza, saying it tastes a lot better than it sounds.
“Turns out it’s really good,” declared one Redditor while defending the pizza. “The banana loses some of its sweetness and caramelizes and with the curry it works out great.”
“It’s simply amazing,” one Swede said in the thread. “Banana in tacos is amazing, too. Don’t hate it before you try it.”
However, this isn’t the only controversial pizza toppings. If you ever go into a Swedish pizza eatery, you will see a menu with sometimes hundreds of different with different toppings varying from bananas to doner kebab meat with chips, and even steak and eggs.
The Northern town of Skellefteå also went viral in Sweden after they invented the Calskrovepizza – a calzone with a burger and chips baked inside it.
Say what you will about it, but I’d argue it tastes way better than the baked bean pizzas I’ve seen my British friends have. That is the true food crime here.
