My Epic Birthday Mission to Taste Pizza Around the Globe

Written by Ridley Kozman

I started a weird birthday tradition a while ago that involves eating pizza in as many places in the world as I can. Fortunately, I have gotten to travel to some pretty cool places (thank you, Mom and Dad). It wasn’t supposed to become an actual mission, but now it feels like one, and I’m building a map of global pizza destinations. So far, I’ve had pizza in Istanbul, Kyoto, Turks and Caicos, Toronto, Rome, and Marrakech. Even though it’s technically all “pizza,” I have had some really different pizza experiences. Here’s what I’ve learned from my birthday pizza mission.

Istanbul: Pizza Meets Pide with Bold Flavours

In Istanbul, pizza feels closer to flatbread than classic Italian pizza. It’s often similar to pide, which is like a long, boat-shaped, traditional dough topped and baked. It’s delicious, by the way. But what stood out to me regarding Istanbul pizza was the spiced meat toppings (usually beef or lamb), the use of earthy and colorful spices like cumin and paprika, and soft, chewy bread for the crust. Pizza in Istanbul has a “street food” vibe with bold and loud flavours.

Kyoto: Pizza Perfected and Precise

Kyoto was different from Istanbul in terms of energy and vibe. Everything in Kyoto feels precise and intentional, and the pizza kind of matched that. What I noticed were really clean, balanced flavours; some unexpected toppings like seafood and Japanese vegetables such as lotus root (renkon) and Japanese eggplant; crusts that were either super thin or very carefully fermented; and the presentation was immaculate, with everything looking like it was designed for a photo. It honestly felt like pizza being treated like art. Almost too perfect to mess up by eating it. But I ate it anyway and loved it.

Turks and Caicos: Chill Pizza Served Hot

This one was probably the most fun pizza experience. It’s hard to separate the pizza from the fact that you’re literally on a tropical island, relaxing in the sun and enjoying the beach and ocean. The pizza in Turks and Caicos is soft-crusted with slightly crispy edges, often cooked in wood-fired ovens. It has different tropical toppings like grilled chicken and shrimp and also conch, but also classic combos like ham and pineapple. Pizza here is served hot! This is what I’d call “holiday pizza.” It tastes like not having responsibilities or worries, and the setting is just perfection.

Toronto: The World’s Pizza City

Toronto is kind of unfair because it has every type of pizza. This is my home city, and so I am biased, but Toronto is amazing. I’ve had so many kinds of pizza here, from classic thin to thick and cheesy. I’ve enjoyed fancier wood-fired pizzas as well as cool, urban pizzas with random toppings that probably shouldn’t work but do. Try feta instead of mozzarella on a pizza. Toronto pizza feels like a mix of all the cities in one place. It doesn’t have one identity because Toronto is this incredible multicultural meeting place of so many different people and cultures. But for birthday pizza in Toronto, I order a meat-lovers with regular crust and save the crusts for the end when I think I am out of room but find space.

Rome: Fresh, Simple, and Good

Rome was my first real “this is pizza history” moment. Things I noticed were the thin, crispy base and the simplicity, as it’s not overloaded with toppings. Pizza here is often sold in big rectangular trays, and you just grab a slice and go while walking the streets of this inspiring old city. Even if it’s been sitting there in one of those trays, the pizza is so fresh with delicious ingredients. Pizza in Rome is not trying to impress you. It just is what it is. And somehow that makes it better.

Marrakech: Spice Explosion Pizza

Marrakech completely changed what I thought pizza could taste like, as it was like a flavour bomb in my mouth. There is nothing subtle about pizza here. What stood out were strong, sharp spices like cumin, paprika, and chili heat; spiced meat toppings like kefta; lots of olives as toppings; and a thicker, hearty tomato base. It tasted like pizza mixed and enhanced by the flavours of North African cooking from a traditional tagine. Honestly, it was unforgettable because it didn’t feel like classic Italian pizza at all!

Lessons Learned

After eating pizza in all these places, I don’t think pizza is one food anymore. It’s more like a template, and every country takes the same basic idea of laying down dough and adding sauce, toppings, and cheese and then heating it up! Pizza matches local ingredients and tastes, culture, and even the mood of the setting.

Next on My Pizza Destination List

If I keep going (which I hope I do), I really want to try pizza in Naples, Italy, because it is the birthplace of the pizza pie. I have to visit New York City with its huge foldable slices and enjoy a slice on my birthday, hopefully with some noisy traffic in the background. Lastly, I hope to eat birthday pizza in Buenos Aires because I have yet to visit or experience pizza in South America, and it will be interesting to do so.

This pizza mission started as a way to celebrate my birthday, but now it feels like a way of understanding places through food. It is a filling and fulfilling way to learn about different cuisines and cultures around the world.

Thumbnail Credit:

https://unsplash.com/photos/pizza-with-basils-msdTDnUxtEA