mjnbrown

I'm leaving for my first trip to Italy in a month and a friend told me about her experience in Venice (I think) where the waiter broke a raw egg on the pizza he had just served at the table. I DON'T want this to happen to me - can you tell me if this was a particular type of pizza that was ordered?

Thanks,
Martha

WillTravel

A friend told me this also happened to her in Marseilles. I'm sorry I can't provide any further details.

Patrick

Usually all the ingredients will be listed for each pizza on the menu. If you see "uovo", that's egg, probably raw (or "oeuf" in French). And if he brings a pizza and starts to crack an egg, simply say "no".

rex

I was with a friend in Barcelona, who was served one of these, and it came out from the kitchen that way. I don't recall any terminology.

A hamburger served this way in France is called "a cheval", I think (on horseback) - - so I think you will need to find the actual idiom. Sorry I don't know it for you.

Best wishes,

Rex

rex

I am not convinced that this is an actual term in common use - - http://www.pizza.it/ricette/ricetta_...o/bismarck.htm - - but if all else fails, print out this picture.

Then learn these few phrases:

Non vorrei questo

"I would not want this"

and/or

Nessun uovo nel centro

"No (not any) egg in the center"

Per favore

"Please"

Thank you

"Grazie"

Patrick

Rex, you've just reminded me that for years when I saw Cheval as a hamburger, I was convinced it must be horsemeat -- made sense to me!!

cmt

I think that's disgusting, and I wouldn't want it to happen to me either. I've never seen anything like that listed on a pizza menu. I would've noticed, since I have practically a phobia about raw eggs. I generally don't worry when I order from a menu that I can't read (e.g., Greek) or order items with names that I know (French and Italian) but with style names that I never heard of. I just figure it will all be food, so it can't be so bad to try it if it turns out to be a surprise. That attitide of mine extends to strange sea creatures, all sorts of wild plants, and also to unfamiliar body parts and organ meats But it does not extend to raw egg! That is the one thing I'd find repulsive to eat.

Andrea_expat

I think the above suggestions should help you avoid it.

You'll be better off than I was when I had a friend cook me dinner at his place in Paris. He proudly brought out two plates of a meat and potato dish, placed them in front of us, and then proceeded to crack a raw egg over each serving!

sheila

I'm not very fond of raw egg myself; but what on earth is this horror?
You guys all eat stuff others wouldn't. It's just another something.

WillTravel

I wouldn't mind a raw egg - I eat them fairly often - although it grosses out my family.

I think part of the shock is that the person sees a perfectly lovely pizza which they are looking forward to eating, when suddenly this lovely picture is disturbed by something the eater finds repulsive.

Americans are warned against eating raw eggs due to the possibility of food poisoning - that's probably part of the aversion also. I am willing to take that small risk.

GSteed

One time popular saloon drink..Raw egg in the beer! I never saw a woman drink one. Taste produces a sensation similar to eating/swallowing a raw oyster. Human food conditioning is responsible for some starvation deaths. Some individuals simply can not eat certain foods even though the foods are nutritious.

WillTravel

GSteed - I am a woman and I drink a raw egg in milk!

DeirdreStraughan

I've never seen a raw egg on a pizza, but I guess I haven't seen everything. "Bismarck" usually means that they crack an egg into the middle of the pizza BEFORE putting it in the oven, so it comes out sort of soft poached and very yummy.

In the unlikely event that someone starts waving an egg over your pizza, just pull the pizzar towards you and say "No, grazie."

NB: "Nessun uovo nel centro" isn't quite right; it could be translated as "There are no eggs downtown." Try instead "Niente uova, grazie."

ealing_calling

Relax, it's Florentine or Fiorentina pizza . . .

http://www.foodtv.com/food/recipes/r..._21807,00.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/da...za_13863.shtml

They're common in the UK too:
http://www.bluescompany.co.uk/bc/mlpp/menu_listing.htm

Most of the time the egg is set but runny, they don't do it at the table/put it in the oven for 5 minutes. And as pizza toppings go, spinach olive & egg is pretty healthy.

Even better than this are super-complet crepes in France, where you have an egg 'miroir' style on top (you guessed it - totally raw) . . .
Mmmmmmmm

wealthy_backpacker

Learn what egg is in the requisite language and avoid dishes with them when in these countries if this worries you so much.

Seriously, the Italians are not big eaters of raw egg compared to other nationalities. Don't go to Japan if you don't like raw egg.

cmt

Maybe a lot of Americans were forced to eat raw egg as children because of some prevailing notion at the time that one HAD to eat eggs for breakfast. I was. Since I didn't like eggs for breakfast, raw egg was hidden in my milk or orange juice to force me to swallow it when I didn't expect it. Egg is the ONLY food that provokes this reaction in me. I am happy to try many foods that are often considered "strange" and usually like them. I also think there was something physiological behind my childhood aversion to eggs in the first place, since, even today, when I eat foods that I like that are egg-based (e.g., frittata, pastiera di grano, etc.), I find them a little hard to digest, very much like milk and cream, which I like but can't digest too well. Maybe this is a common problem, and that may explain why several of us are particularly horrified at the thought of raw egg being thrown on top of some otherwise appetizing food.

marktynernyc

you may want to also included pasta carbonara on your list - I find the raw egg adds just the right richness to the sauce

as for bacteria - I was at a raw milk (unpasturized) cheese tasting a few months ago here in NYC - raw milk cheeses may become illegal in America this year yet in Europe 30 day old raw milk cheeses are consummed without any health problems. Raw milk cheese are more flavorful than pasturized cheeses. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger....of course maybe if we had more humane farming techniques instead of these huge processing plants/farms all for the sake of cheap produce but I digress....

Grinisa

In Rome and Southern Italy, the pizza that comes with raw egg is called "capriciosa." It has a lot of other things on it too, like artichokes, mushrooms etc. Actually, it's very good.

Sally

I hate to ruin tiramisu for a lot of people, but it contains raw egg, too.

Sally

PS I got a great tiramisu recipe from an Italian friend.