Pizza Hut now has a surprising alternative to its traditional pizza crust
A hardcore Italian would probably have a fit, but pizza crusts have been getting a makeover for a while now. Supermarkets stock pizzas with cauliflower and carrot crusts, and in some pizzerias (and not the least prestigious ones) you can order pizzas made with gluten-free flour. Is the traditional wheat-flour crust no longer sacred?
Not in the eyes of international pizza chain Pizza Hut. Partly prompted by the explosively rising cost of grain since the war in Ukraine, the chain has introduced a remarkable new crust on a trial basis in Japan, made from… rice.
Mini first, maxi later
The rice is seasoned with soy sauce and shaped into a small, round patty, initially serving as the base for mini pizzas. The trial will last a few weeks at first, but if it catches on, the rice crusts may become a permanent fixture on the menu.
No more shortages
In Japan, the Pizza Hut rice pizza is called Gohan Pizza, and it is actually a fairly logical alternative. There is no shortage of local rice, writes Japanese news platform SoraNews24. This way, Pizza Hut is less dependent on the unstable international market, an instability that had previously caused a potato shortage. That led to McDonald’s drastic measure of allowing customers in Japan to order only small portions of fries.
Guinea pig
Admittedly, probably because I have an Asian background, a crust made from deliciously seasoned rice doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me at all. I’m not sure I’d fancy melted cheese on it, but hey, the Japanese are already going to be the guinea pigs for that. I’m curious to see whether it becomes a hit and proves to be here to stay!
Also read:
- Always a hit: the 50 best pizzas in Europe
- 13 ridiculous things you want to own as a pizza lover
- Try this surprisingly simple technique for perfect rice
