Correction: Pizza Brazil Style… except for Sao Paulo.
As per Meredith’s suggestion, tonight I indulged in pizza with a dash of ketchup and a smattering of mayo. Apparently, such a dish brings back fond memories for my husband of sitting in his neighborhood boteco in Rio and watching futebol. So between the endorsements of both Meredith and my husband, who am I not to take a leap with a new cuisine?
I am a fan of both ketchup and mayonnaise on certain foods (mostly on french fries or hamburgers). That being said, this was not a bad combination. You can’t really argue with it – ketchup is another form of tomato sauce and mayo is really, well, cheese made with egg. However, I felt that the ketchup overpowered the other flavors in the dish. It might have been that my ketchup was particularly tangy, and of course ketchup adds sugar, so perhaps with a milder ketchup I might have enjoyed the arrangement more.
Do I think that pizza needs ketchup and mayonnaise? No, not really. But I also don’t think that pizza needs to be doused in olive oil either like the paulistanos do. (I was horrified the first time my husband splashed olive oil across his pizza, learned from his previous years in SP. Isn’t the cheese oily enough?)
However, I can definitely see how this could be an acquired taste. Next time I have pizza, I might consider spreading a bit of ketchup and mayonnaise on one corner, just to be sure.
Yeah!! Good for you. I’m glad that your husband agrees with me too. Maybe try a different ketchup (like you said) or add less?
Like you, I don’t want my pizza very oily and don’t know about olive oil. I usually blot my pizza on a napkin before eating it.
Me too! Yes, I used an American ketchup. But I’m going to go for one of those restaurant ketchups-in-a-packet next time.
Dear B.A.B,
Oh no you didn’t!!!! Mayo and Catch up on a Pizza!!!! That is a misdemenor in Sao Paulo!!!
We, “Paulistanos” don’t drizzle Olive Oil over every kind of Pizza, only the less “greasy” ones, and the normal is just a little drizzle, never too much, some people skip the Olive Oil on top of the Pizza all together.
We usually use much less greasy types of cheese on our Pizzas and our dough is not greasy at all, so, just a little of Olive Oil is the usual habit brought to Sao Paulo from Northern Italy, our Pizza taste very mild, never spicy, so a little Olive Oil just enhances the mild flavors of our Pizza.
In my opinion, Mayo and Catch up are so strong and ovepowering that you might as well eat any kind of bread or baked dough with Catch up and Mayo and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, it would all taste the same. (nasty in my humble opinion!!!!
)
The greasy Pizza dough that leaves oily stain marks is typical of Southern Italy and parts of the US such as Chicago and Pizza Hut type Pizzas. New York Pizzas are also more “Northern” Italian style and are much less greasy too, more similar to Sao Paulo’s Pizza, so a little Olive Oil drizzled over the top of the Pizza is more common.
Northern Italian style Pizza will never have “spicy” ingredients and rarely ever has “Pepperoni”, which is a very “Southern” Italian ingredient.
Our Pizza in Northern Italy and Sao Paulo is much less greasy and much more simple, in Italy you even find Pizza without Cheese, only with tomato sauce and crust, people eat it standing up as a quick snack.
Imagine how horrified I was the first time I ate Pizza in the US, and saw the greasy dough and people adding “Crushed” red pepper and “Parmesan Cheese”!!! I was only more shocked when I saw Cariocas adding Mayonnaise and Catch up, that literally made me gag!!!
I miss good ol’Sao Paulo Pizza!!!
Ray
HA. Do NOT tell anyone about my crime!
Nothing better.
I forgot about the jars of crushed red pepper and parmesan at the pizza places!
The junk pizzas tend to be pretty greasy. But are you knocking my Chicago, deep dish, multilayered pizza?
Ok, you have to tell me where to go in Chicago for real authentic Chicago Pizza. I can’t judge without trying first, no matter how biased I am for Sao Paulo’s Pizza, I do need to give Chicago a try!
I am flying there all the time now, because of work.
Please give me good Chicago Pizza tips
Ray
Giordano’s!!
http://www.giordanos.com/
Thanks for the tip. I will visit Giordano next time I am in Chicago
Yuck. Im not a huge condiment fan. I wasnt much of one in the US either though. Here in Minas they love ketchup and mayo too. AND olive oil. But Im noticing a new trend here is to bring olive oil and “molho” to the table. No longer are they serving pizza with ketchup and mayo but they bring a little jar of extra tomato sauce to the table. Much to my relief and happiness (since sauce is used VERY sparingly.)
Hmmm. Interesting. The evolution of Brazilian pizza.
When I told my husband I wanted to try this he said “it’s disgusting and I will never put ketchup and mayo on a pizza.” Tee hee. I’m still going to try it! I’ll let you know when I do.
Yes, let me know. A few months back, I might have had the same response as your husband, as I am now opening myself up to new adventures…
Wait! Isn’t your husband a Brazilian?!
He’s Brazilian…from Minas Gerais. I guess living in Europe and the US broadened his palate.
Yeah, that must have been the case with mine. I never saw him put anything but olive oil and hot sauce on pizza, but now all the ketchup and mayonnaise stories are coming out.
Jennifer,
I am liking Carlos more and more…He is my kind of Brazilian!
We need to start a movement to ban Mayo and Catch up on Pizza. I say adding “a night in the slammer” for those who brake the new law is a good start
Ray
HA! Wow. You paulistanos are serious about your pizza. I understand, I happen to love SP pizza. (Don’t tell anyone in Chicago.)
How sad, I wasn’t able to dissuade you from such bad taste. You’re supposed to pick up the good things in Brazil, not ketchup on pizza. What’s the next challenge going to be? Arrive late for a scheduled appointment?
Seriously, I hope you redeem yourself by going to a really good pizza place (Pizza Braz, for example). And leave the ketchup at home.
Actually, going late to an appointment, and not feeling bad about it, was on my list. HA!
Touche! I guess you’re right, you gotta try the good, the bad and the ugly.
Right? If I want to be real Brazilian, I can’t just experience the nice stuff. Got to go for it all!
“LIKE”!
I also suggest a very typical Brazilian Pizza, try visiting “MARGUERITTA” at Jardim Paulista, and ask for “Palmito com Requeijao” Pizza, it’s is heaven on earth!!
I will do it! Added to my list.
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I don’t eat pizza with ketchup , mayo or olive oil.
I know some brazilians who add one of those ingredients but most people I know don’t add anything.
All I can say is you are brave and good for you for trying something “culturally new.” I’ll never do it!