This pizza business is booming.
In Guatemala, you can enjoy a slice of pizza beside lava and volcanic rocks and at risk of eruption.
Chef Mario David Garcia serves “the world’s most dangerous pizza” on top of Volcano Pacaya, an active volcano whose last lava eruption was in May 2021, using lava as a means of cooking.
“I’ve sold everything from ice cream to vegetables, but I never imagined that a volcano would be the starting point of my culinary success,” Garcia said. told Times UK,
To cook on volcanic rock, Garcia wears thick heat-resistant gloves and yellow protective goggles and stands safely near the hotspot.
The pizzeria on top of a volcano has been operating for five years now – but working on top of an active volcano comes with its own rumblings.
Garcia remembered, “On one occasion, the volcano was releasing very large amounts of sulfur.” “When we got down our noses started bleeding, so we closed the restaurant for 15 days.”
Guatemala’s three active volcanoes attract tourists from all over the world.
He said, “Volcano Pacaya is friendly and allows himself to be petted and praised to some extent.”
They have also seen an increase in extreme tourism. His pizzeria has grown from two to five days per week, and he now welcomes children, corporate team-building groups, and even wedding parties.
Sojourner White, traveling from Wisconsin, told The Times that her entire 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 would be more scared. I was so surprised by it,” she told the outlet. “I didn’t realize it was an active volcano until I was sitting and eating pizza. 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 their homework” when traveling to volcanoes.
“I’m not sure people are thinking hard about how dangerous some tourism content can be in Guatemala. “It’s kind of like the Wild West, it’s the honest truth,” admitted Watson, who has worked in the country for 25 years.
For the pizzeria at Pacaya, García is constantly checking bulletins from Guatemala’s official institute for meteorology.
“We are always very attentive to volcanic activity. But there have been sudden changes,” he said. “It’s mother nature. You don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
