Two Types of Frozen Ready-to-Eat Pizzas from Ottogi and Pulmuone Tried by Meokjjang

Published 10 Mar.2022 17:00(KST)

Cooking Made Simple, Flavor Made Edgy♡

Two Types of Frozen Ready-to-Eat Pizzas from Ottogi and Pulmuone Tried by Meokjjang

One of the greatest sorrows for people living alone might be the limited variety of delivery food. You might argue, "Why not just store leftovers in the fridge?" but delivery food tastes best when eaten while still warm, so people usually order small portions or gather friends to share a meal. No matter how delicious the delivery food is, enduring eating the same menu for 2-3 days can be quite a chore.

That’s why frozen foods, which don’t require worrying about expiration dates, are an inseparable combination for those who have lived alone for years! Frozen foods like donkatsu, mandu, and chicken have become staples in the freezer. Then one day, something caught my eye at the supermarket: frozen pizza. Compared to regular pizza, its price and portion size are more manageable. Since cheese is arguably the key to a pizza’s flavor, I chose pizzas topped with cheese. The editor’s pick is two types of frozen pizza from Ottogi and Pulmuone.

▷ Two Products ◁

Ottogi: 6 Formaggi Pizza

Pulmuone: No Edge Fully Topped Five Cheese Pizza

Both products can be cooked using an air fryer, microwave, or oven. Thinking it would be best to try cooking with a commonly used home appliance, I used the microwave.

Ottogi 6 Formaggi Pizza

The 6 Formaggi Pizza is topped with six kinds of cheese: mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, parmesan, fresh mozzarella curd, and French Emmental cheese. The pizza is generously spread with tomato sauce, and various cheese toppings are piled on top.

After microwaving for 6 minutes, the cheese seemed slightly under-melted, so I added about 1 more minute. If you dislike the crust becoming too dry and crispy, you can lightly moisten the pizza before microwaving. I cooked it long enough for the cheese to melt thoroughly, so the cheese’s shape was barely visible.

The flavor is rich and savory with the characteristic creamy greasiness of cheese. The six cheeses blend well with the pizza sauce, which seems to be Ottogi’s commercially available pizza sauce. The dough, which has undergone 20 hours of low-temperature fermentation, has an appealing texture that is moderately soft and tender. Cooking it in an air fryer would likely result in a crispy exterior while keeping the inside moist.

* 410 kcal per 150g, total 405g 1105 kcal, priced at 6,680 KRW on the official mall

Pulmuone No Edge Fully Topped Five Cheese Pizza

This pizza is topped with a mix of five cheeses: mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, provolone, and cream cheese. Pulmuone’s product also includes a salty bacon topping.

After thawing at room temperature for about 30 minutes, I microwaved it for 6 minutes, which was just right. The cream cheese retained some shape, while the other cheeses melted and were hard to distinguish visually. One downside was that the bacon’s presence was very subtle.

This pizza maximizes the sweet and salty flavor combination. Many people assume cheese only brings greasiness, but that’s not always the case. Among the toppings, cheddar cheese provides saltiness, and cream cheese adds sweetness.

Cream cheese is the secret weapon here. It offers a sweet and savory balance that tames the greasiness, and I wish there was more of it. Although now discontinued, this pizza’s flavor is quite similar to Domino’s former Cheesecake Sandwich Pizza.

Also, since it’s a no-edge fully topped pizza, it’s perfect for those who don’t like the crust edges. It feels like eating a gorgonzola pizza with more than twice the amount of cheese. If you have honey, dipping the pizza in it might be a good idea.

* 350 kcal per 150g, total 376g 875 kcal, priced at 6,980 KRW on the official mall

――

Both products introduced today are cheese-centric pizzas without large toppings, so they might not appeal to everyone. While you might miss the fun of tasting various toppings, cheese lovers will find these choices very satisfying. Another advantage is that you can enjoy several kinds of cheese in one place, which is usually hard to experience. If you had to pick one to enjoy with beer, I’d recommend the Pulmuone product. Its flavor pairs well not only with regular lager beers but also with IPA beers.