There's a new kind of pizza that is hot, hot, hot (and big, big, BIG). And it was invented by Swedes. A pizzeria in Piteå, Sweden lays claim to introducing the new “vulkan” (volcano) pizza, a monster of a meal with many variations, erupting with layers of crust, food and more food. The original, complete with pockets of meat, salad and fries, was inspired by all the customers who had a hard time deciding what they wanted to eat … so why not put them together in one enormous pie? Sources say it's a fun pizza to make as well as eat, and specialty volcano pizzas can now be bought at more than 20 pizzerias around the country. And it sounds like it's just a matter of time before they’re everywhere.

A couple days ago, Sweden's foremost pizza enthusiast, freelance pizza chef and international pizza champion, Mike Arvblom was challenged by Swedish Radio to make his own version of the 7-in-1 explosion of food. Arvblom, who has won the World Pizza Championship (with Swedish products) and won second place in the world (with American products), accepted the challenge and made the pizza in the kitchen of Davidhalls Pizzeria in Malmö, where it will likely now be added to the menu. Enjoying the best of both worlds as chef and taste-tester, Arvblom loved making it and eating it, though it was definitely “a heavy meal.” And one he recommends sharing with at least one other person.

His is a version of a classic Swedish pizza which Swedes know as a Quattro Stagioni (4 seasons) pizza; this volcano pizza is really a Seis Stagioni (6 seasons) pizza. It’s made with two half-pound dough rounds, one of which goes on top of the usual cheese and homemade tomato sauce pizza, then gets folded into six sections each with its own ingredients:
Section 1: crispy bacon, fresh sliced tomatoes and goat cheese with a touch of sea salt and crushed oregano
Section 2: marinated tenderloin, red onions and bearnaise sauce
Section 3: cooked ham with slices of banana
Section 4: mixed olives topped with fresh oregano
Section 5: fresh mushrooms, artichoke, homemade pesto and colored bell peppers
Section 6: Italian salami
After it’s been in the oven, Section 7 — the center of the pizza — gets filled with an eruption of fries, red onions, tomatoes, pepperoni and tzatziki sauce.