Does wanko pizza taste better when eaten on all fours?
While the big pizza chains like domino and Pizza Hut have a large presence in Japan, diners looking for something a little more upscale may opt for Pizza-Laa chain that offers wood-fired pizzas with a distinctive Italian style.
Now, it’s not just human diners who can enjoy a taste of Pizza-La, as the chain recently announced the relaunch of a pizza for dogs. He called the “Wanko Pizza Chicken Teriyaki“wanko” being the colloquial Japanese word for “dog”, this was a local pizza that definitely warranted a taste test, but there was just one problem.
▼ There are no dogs in our office.
Having faced tougher hurdles in our previous taste tests, we knew better than to let this stop us from trying the pizza, so we went ahead and bought it anyway.
Fortunately, a note in the puppy-shaped image on the box indicates that this pizza was made by Comif Delia company that produces food that can be eaten by humans and dogs.
To further reassure us, there was a note on the back that read “This food is also suitable for pet dogs.“, indicating that it was safe for puppies. and their human owners.
The food is based on the chain’s regular teriyaki chicken pizza, which contains familiar ingredients like teriyaki chicken, corn, fungusand chopped seaweed. However, the base is made with chicken instead of batter, and is said to finish with “a flavor that dogs like.”
Before eating, the pizza should be thawed in the refrigerator for six hours or heated in the microwave according to the instructions provided. When served for canine consumption, pizza needs to be at the same temperature as human skin, which is how we prepare our pizza, before calling Fido in the office.
Unfortunately, no dogs had come through our door in the time it took us to prepare the pizza, so we came up with a workaround: randomly select two people to act as our canine testers.
With seven people in the office that day, we wrote the kanji for person (“人”) on five sheets of paper and the kanji for dog (“犬”) on two sheets of paper.
▼ Then we folded them up and each person chose a piece of paper.
▼ Which of our participating volunteers will eat on all fours today?
Well, everyone certainly looks happy with the results, but that could be because both humans and dogs will be eating pizza today.
However, while humans will eat their slices standing up, our pups will eat on all fours.
▼ And our puppies today are Seiji Nakazawa (left) and Ikuna Kamezawa (right)
So how did the pizza taste? Well, according to our human subjects, the pizza tasted lighter than usual.
Despite its lighter taste, it still tasted good, with some staff saying, “Tastes like a pizza from abroad”, “Tastes healthy”, and “Tastes like something a dog would like to eat”.
As for our cute puppies, they just smiled and licked their lips while making joyful expressions. However, after we told them they didn’t have to be so methodical with their canine acting, they regained their human speaking powers and told us it tasted pretty good.
Not only did it taste good, but the experience near the floor gave them a better understanding of what it would feel like to eat a pizza for a dog. And because they were on the same level, they felt strangely close, which, in the end, is the whole concept behind Comif Deli’s union with Pizza-La.
Instead of eating different foods in different parts of the house, wanko pizza allows you to eat exactly the same as your pup, breaking down the barrier between humans and dogs that often exists at mealtimes. And because it can also be delivered to your home, you can set it all up in front of the TV for a fun night in, creating a special experience that will deepen your bond with your pup. Not a bad deal for 880 yen (US$6.53)!
Related: List of participating stores
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[ Read in Japanese ]