Canned Tuna Is A Popular Pizza Topping In This Country

Anchovies have been gracing the tops of pizzas for years. Seafood lovers can even justify bedecking their pies with shrimp, lobster, or succulent crab meat. But few have probably encountered a pizza adorned with a can of tuna. The "chicken of the sea" has always been a sandwich staple or is often lovingly encased in a noodle-based casserole — but likely it's one of the last things anyone would pick as a pizza topping. It turns out, however, that in some corners of the earth, the humble canned tuna is a pizza pie favorite, even dethroning the beloved pepperoni. Yes, tuna pizza is a thing and, as puzzling as it may be to some, it's popular. 

In Germany, the "thunfisch pizza" is a crowd favorite, says The Cultured Cook. Here, tuna fish is the star of the show and shares the stage with red onions, mozzarella cheese, and oregano, all perched upon a smear of tomato sauce. While there are variations — some add olives, red peppers, or artichoke hearts — most appear to stick to the original recipe. As peculiar as tuna pizza may seem to the North American palate, it finds its way onto pizza pans in other countries as well. Perhaps the rest of the world is on to something.

On a Reddit thread, one person posed the question, "Is tuna pizza only a thing in Germany?" Apparently it's not, as there were a multitude of nations offered by respondents as likewise tuna pizza-lovers. Several said it's huge in Italy. Redditor No-Zucchini-6121 claimed, "It's very popular in Slovenia," and user drjimmybrungus said, "It's actually quite popular in Brazil." Another person, TheSuitGuy offered, "We have it in the Netherlands." And additional other people chimed in that the dish can be found in The United Kingdom, Japan, and Spain as well.

Per the Reddit thread, Japan's version appears to be mayonnaise-based and contains corn and asparagus. Italians like to stick with a tomato sauce, but are also known to add olives, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, or gorgonzola. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, pizza lovers seem to pair their tuna topping with spinach, leeks, and feta cheese. Some chefs use sour cream, lemon, and dill to showcase their tuna. And others add crème fraîche. It seems that the list of possible combinations is endless. And, while each version of the mysterious tuna pizza seems to be different, one common thread remains. They all do Charlie the Tuna proud.