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This pizza business is erupting.
In Guatemala, you can enjoy a slice of pizza with a side of lava and volcanic rocks and a risk of explosion.
Chef Mario David García serves “the world’s most dangerous pizza” on the top of Volcano Pacaya, an active volcano whose last lava eruption was in May 2021, using the lava as a means to cook.
“I have sold everything from ice cream to vegetables, but I never thought that a volcano would be the starting point of my culinary success,” García told the Times UK.
In order to cook over the volcanic rock, García dons thick heat-proof gloves and yellow protective goggles as he stands safely nearby the hotspot.
The pizzeria on top of the volcano has been operating for five years now — but working on top of an active volcano comes with its own rumblings.
“On one occasion, the volcano was releasing a lot of sulfur,” García remembered. “When we got down we got nosebleeds, so we closed the restaurant for 15 days.”
Guatemala’s three active volcanoes attract tourists from all around the world.
“Volcano Pacaya is friendly and to a certain extent allows itself to be caressed and admired,” he said.
He has noticed an uptick in extreme tourism, too. His pizzeria has expanded from two to five days per week, and he now welcomes children, corporate team-building groups and even wedding parties.
Sojourner White, who traveled from Wisconsin, told The Times that her whole trip to Guatemala was planned around volcano tourism — and she made sure to stop for a slice of pizza.
“I was a little nervous, I mean, you would think I’d be more scared. I was too amazed by it,” she told the outlet. “It wasn’t until I was sitting eating the pizza that I realized it was an active volcano. Maybe it wasn’t the safest solo travel experience, but the pizza tasted great.”
Professor Matthew Watson, a volcanologist at the University of Bristol, advised tourists to “do your homework” when traveling for the sake of volcanoes.
“I’m not convinced that people are doing the hard thinking about just how dangerous some of the touristy stuff in Guatemala might be. It’s a bit of a Wild West, is the honest truth,” Watson, who has been working in the country for 25 years, admitted.
As for the pizzeria on Pacaya, García is constantly checking bulletins from Guatemala’s official institute for meteorology.
“We are always very attentive to the activity of the volcano. But there are sudden changes,” he said. “It’s mother nature. You don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
