The Unexpected Topping You'll Find On Costco's Pizza In China

While Costco is a classically American grocery chain, its influence spans the globe. While half of its 900 locations are located in the United States, the rest are dotted around 13 different countries. Some things remain the same, like the membership model, bulk-buy bargains, and of course, no Costco is complete without its iconic food court. But a trip to an international Costco will reveal a few differences. Take China, for example, where you can find seafood pizza on offer — sometimes shrimp and sometimes crayfish.

Opening its doors in 2019, Costco has proved highly successful in China and now operates seven warehouses. While the food court menu might be different, it still has Costco's famously low prices. A whole seafood pizza will set you back $10, and for a slice, it's just $2. Interestingly, food is less expensive in China, so these prices might be perceived to be on the higher end — which is often the case when international food brands open up there.

While seafood pizza isn't a standard topping in the States, over in Asia, it's actually quite common. One such seafood pizza is sold as "Tom Yam Gong Crayfish," which isn't your typical Chinese dish. Tom Yam Goong (usually stylized as tom yum) is an iconic Thai soup known for its sweet and sour profile. But given its global popularity, it's not surprising to see it sold in China. Usually, the standard protein paired with Tom Yum is shrimp, but Chinese Costco has swapped it out for crayfish. This could be a classic example of adjustments being made to suit local tastes. China loves crayfish — so much, in fact, that they're both the world's biggest consumer and exporter of the tasty crustacean.

Tom Yam Gong Crayfish isn't the only unique pizza topping available at China's Costco food court. One Redditor discovered that Beijing duck pizza is also on offer. Beijing (also known as Peking) duck is widely considered to be the national dish of China, featuring roasted duck that's paired with a savory, sweet bean or hoisin sauce and topped with cucumbers and scallions. While it's typically served as a hand-rolled pancake, it would certainly make for a delicious pizza topping. A more familiar pizza topping you can find at Costco in China is truffle mushrooms. In response to these unique toppings, many Redditors complained about the lack of exciting Costco food court items available in the U.S. compared to international locations.

Along with its unique pizza toppings, China also has fun soft serve options on offer. In the States, you can find soft serve ice cream available in flavors like vanilla or chocolate. But China seems to have an edge over the U.S. with soft serve offerings like peanut butter, lychee, and mango. They've even got one in Calpis flavor — which is a popular milky Japanese soda. One envious Redditor wrote, "They don't even get the plain vanilla soft serve, but get theirs enhanced with peanut butter. It's not fair!"

There are also some food items available in China that have no equivalent in the USA. One of these is red bean mochi taiyaki. Invented in Japan, these are hugely viral fish-shaped cakes with various sweet (and sometimes even savory) fillings. Other fun treats you can find at Costco China include Cantonese-style egg tarts, the acclaimed beef bulgogi bake, and crispy fried chicken.