For many of us, our knowledge of Swedish food stops at meatballs, pickled herring, and crispbread. Pizza? We associate that with Italy or American styles, like Chicago’s deep dish and New York’s thin crust. But Swedes love their pizza, with over half the population eating it several times a month. Sweden offers a veritable smörgåsbord of pizza toppings — kebab and meatball pizzas are particularly popular. But the most unexpected topping you’ll find on pizza in Sweden is banana!
The banana doesn’t appear alone on Swedish pies. It comes as part of a banana-curry pizza, which is also topped with salty ham and cheese. It might sound bizarre, but remember that travel is all about trying new things, and the banana pizza has tons of fans in Sweden. On Reddit’s r/PizzaCrimes, users call banana and curry “the bomb on pizza” and “simply amazing.” User Ohip explains, “The banana loses some of its sweetness and caramelizes and with the curry it works out great.” Whatever you do, follow the Swedish custom of eating your pizza with a knife and fork — just like in Denmark, they don’t eat with their hands.
More unexpected pizzas to try around the world
Sampling pizzas abroad can be an excellent way to mix familiar tastes with exciting new flavors. (Though Italy’s gold standard pizza is pretty recognizable.) If you’re in the Nordic region and enjoyed Sweden’s banana-curry offering, pop next door to Finland to try reindeer pizza. First created by the pizza chain Kotipizza, it was initially named the Berlusconi in response to then-Italian Prime Minister’s complaints about being fed reindeer on his visit to Finland. Now, it’s simply called reindeer pizza, and is usually also topped with mushrooms and red onion.
If you’re heading to India, check out the popular paneer tikka pizza, a pie topped with Indian-style cottage cheese marinated in local spices. Paneer pizza is usually vegetarian, but if you prefer meaty toppings, chicken tikka and butter chicken are eaten in India. Paneer pizzas are also available in nearby Sri Lanka, where you could also pick up spicy fish and minced mutton pizzas (even at Pizza Hut!).
Finally, for the bravest eaters, there’s China’s durian pizza. Pizza Hut China sold over 30 million durian pizzas in 2024, and the controversial pie is offered in chains and independent restaurants all over the country. This one has r/PizzaCrimes divided, with some saying it’s delicious and others describing it as a hate crime. You decide!
