Barbie doll draped in prosciutto — the eye-catching Pizza Gaga

▲ Pizza Gaga. The Barbie doll is draped in Italian Parma ham, which is removed before eating along with the pizza. (Photo by Huang Shih-yuan)

Reported by Huang Shih-yuan, Taipei

From August 11 to August 19, during the Rome Food Festival at Junpin, Executive Chef Alessandro Montedoro from Rome Hotel is invited to present authentic Roman cuisine, priced at NT$18,800 + 10% per table for 10 guests. But the most eye-catching offering is the Pizza Gaga brought by fellow pizza chef Nadi Fabio, which features a Barbie doll dressed in prosciutto atop the pizza.

How did such a creative pizza come about? Chef Nadi Fabio explained that his daughter is a fan of Lady Gaga but doesn’t like to eat meat. To get her to eat meat, he drew inspiration from Lady Gaga’s infamous raw beef dish and created this Pizza Gaga — a Barbie doll draped in Italian Parma ham, which diners remove before eating the pizza. Chef Nadi Fabio said his daughter ended up falling in love with the pizza.


▲ Traditional Roman square pizza. (Photo provided by Junpin)

Besides Pizza Gaga, Nadi Fabio also offers a traditional Roman square pizza, allowing guests to freely choose from 20 different toppings. Regarding pizza, Nadi Fabio said it’s as essential to Italians as rice is to Taiwanese — they might eat it more than four times a week, in many varieties.

As for what makes a good pizza, Nadi Fabio pointed out two key factors: first, the dough must ferment fully, sometimes taking up to two days, which results in a delicious crust; second, the pizza maker’s skill is crucial — including heat control, timing, and knowing when to move or flip the pizza. Nadi Fabio said anyone can bake pizza, but baking “delicious” pizza is not easy.