If you're planning a slice of World Cup action tonight, you might well be picking up snacks and drinks on the way home.
National Pizza Week is now well underway and most food retailers have put together deals to celebrate the UK's favourite snack as the nation tunes into the action at Qatar.
While Brits tend to be fairly conservative with their pizza choices - Margherita and pepperoni are the two best-sellers - the same can't be said for some of the other 32 nations taking part in the World Cup.
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In Sweden, for instance, banana curry pizza is a regular option on many menus, and whilst it might seem strange to us, it’s considered a classic in Sweden. Apparently the sweetness of the banana, combined with a mix of spice from the curry, gives this pizza a sweet, salty, smoky flavour not unlike ham and pineapple. Staying with a fruity theme, coconut is a common topping in Costa Rica, often combined with prawns.
Other favourite topping include:
Netherlands: Shawarma may originally hail from the Middle East, but it’s actually the Netherlands that claims this unusual choice as a favourite pizza topping. They've adopted this thinly sliced meat topping as a takeaway favourite and, whilst lamb is the preferred topping choice, chicken and mixed meat shawarma are also popular.
Japan: While anchovies and tuna are regulars on pizza in the UK, the Japanese go one step further, choosing squid and shrimp to top their pizzas.
Australia: Australians have been known to choose crocodile as one of their more adventurous pizza toppings. And the Coat of Arms pizza features kangaroo and emu toppings - two of the country's most iconic animals creatures.
Brazil: Peas are a very popular vegetable in Brazil and often pop up on pizzas, along with raisins, carrots and even quail eggs.
Germany: While it's not unknown over here, canned tuna is one of the most popular pizza toppings in Germany, often mixed with onions, olives and other vegetables.
Canada: One of Canada's favourite dishes is its poutine, made up of chips and cheese curds topped with brown gravy. Originating in Quebec in the 1950s, it’s become widespread across the world. Pizza Hut Canada even released a limited-edition Cheesy Beef Poutine Pizza - topped with crispy french fries, melty cheese curds and thick, dark gravy.
USA: The USA also has a unique take on pizza and goes full-on carnival mode with the Corn Dog Pizza. The classic corn dog is a hot dog on a stick, which is then battered and deep-fried.
While most Uk retailers can't promise anything as exotic as squid or kangaroo, they have all laid on a spread of offers to celebrate National Pizza Week. Here's what's on offer:
Tesco
Name of deal: The Pizza Company Meal Deal
Price: £6 Clubcard price
What you get: One pizza, one side and one dip stacker.
Choose from: Pizza options include Pepperoni Party Pizza, Beefy Mexican Pizza and Big Cheese Stuffed Crust, with sides including Deep Filled Garlic Bread 2 Pack, Waffle Fries and Cookie Dough Dessert as well as Garlic & Herb and Flaming Hot dip stackers.
Sainsbury's
Name of deal: Pizza Meal Deal
Price: £12
What you get: 2 Pizzas, 2 Sides and 1 Dip
Choose from: Includes choices such as Classic Crust Veggie Delight and Stuffed Crust Cheese Feast Pizzas with various sides including Breaded Halloumi Fries, Mac & Cheese Bites and Dirty Fries.
Asda
Name of deal: Meal Deal or Mix and Match any two large pizzas from the pizza counter.
Price: Meal Deal £10, Mix and Match £8
What you get: £10 meal deal includes two mains, two sides and a four-pack of drinks
Choose from: T wo Pizza Express pizzas in various flavours, two sides from a range including Shake Shake Fries, Garlic Dough Balls, Garlic Mushrooms, Onion Rings and Garlic and Mozzarella Flatbread and a four-pack of drinks including Budweiser, alcohol-free Budweiser, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange and Dr Pepper.
Or choose two of your favourite deep-pan or stonebaked thin and crispy pizzas from the pizza counter - available in a range of varieties including BBQ Chicken and Bacon, Mighty Meat Feast, Aloha Hawaiian, Cheese Meltdown and Very Veggie Supreme .
Morrisons
Name of deal: Pizza Meal Deal
Price: £12
What you get: Buy two pizzas, two sides (including desserts) and a four-pack of soft drinks
Choose from: Stuffed Crust Cheese Feast, Pepperoni and Meat Feast pizzas , as well as Loaded Potato Skins, Mozzarella Sticks, Triple Choc Brownie Pudding and a range of popular soft drinks.
Co-op
Name of deal: Super Saver Deal
Price: £6
What you get: Two stonebaked pizzas plus a four-pack of Budweiser or Coke Zero.
Choose from: Double Pepperoni, Margarita or Sloppy Joe Pizza.
Now read:
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- Kevin Keegan to visit Newcastle next spring for a night of stories and chat
