Prosciutto and melon- while this may sound weird to a lot of people in the world, it’s actually a traditional favorite in Italy, where it’s practically a cliche of an antipasti, or appetizer. This combination has been around since the second century, traced back to a doctor Galeno.

Galeno believed that all meals had to be balanced with the qualities of warm, cold, dry, and juicy. Cured ham and melon met all of Galeno’s requirements, and has been around as a classic since! The sweet and juicy melon are balanced perfectly by the salty and meaty flavors of the ham on the beautiful pizza flavors.

Something important to note about this dish is that there is no tomato sauce on this pizza, only cheese! This makes it a white pizza, minimizing the outside flavors from interfering with the combination of the delicious ham and melon. While there are additions of outside ingredients such as chives, arugula, and radicchio, those help to complement the flavors while not taking over the entire dish.

By using multiple types of melon and not baking them into the pizza, you get multiple yet similar flavor pairings that are kept in their freshest forms. Make this pizza when you’re not in the mood for something warm, but cold pizza isn’t the most appetizing thing in the world!

By: Eon Kyong