Adding Ketchup to Pizza and Cutting Pasta with Scissors: "Get Out!"... The Viral Trend of 'Annoying Italians'

SNS 'Making Italians Angry' Trending
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"Like Pouring Cold Water on Well-Cooked Ramen"

Recently, a TikTok (SNS·social networking service) video titled 'Making Every Italian I Meet Angry' has become a hot topic in Italy, according to local media reports.

TikToker Ben Reed who pours ketchup on pizza and cuts pasta with scissors [Photo from TikTok video capture]

On the 2nd (local time), the Italian daily 'Il Messaggero' reported that a series of videos filmed by American TikToker Ben Reed, who has about 2.7 million followers, while traveling in Milan, a city in northern Italy, has become a sensation.

In the video, Reed committed numerous food-related faux pas in Italy.

He cut pasta with scissors, dipped a sandwich into cappuccino, poured mineral water into espresso, and captured the shocked reactions of people witnessing these acts.

At one restaurant, when Reed put ice cubes into a glass of red wine, a staff member rushed over, snatched his glass, and asked him to leave the establishment.

Ben Reed drenches a Margherita pizza with ketchup. One restaurant staff member was horrified from behind, while another ran over saying, "What are you doing?" [Video source=TikTok capture]

At another restaurant, when Reed poured a generous amount of ketchup?brought in advance?onto a Margherita pizza, the restaurant manager approached and even threw the ketchup bottle.

In Italy, pizza and ketchup are not eaten together, and Italy, famous for its pride in food, considers adding ingredients that should not be included in a dish as an insult to the food.

For this reason, Domino's Pizza, the world's number one pizza brand, entered the Italian market boasting American-style toppings like bacon and pineapple but withdrew from the market last year after seven years.

TikToker Ben Reed dips a sandwich in cappuccino and drinks sparkling water with espresso. The reaction, which includes the shock of Italians, is also captured.
[Video source=TikTok capture]

At a cafe, when he added mineral water to espresso, a nearby customer took off their sunglasses and made a gesture expressing disbelief.

Italy also has strong pride in its coffee culture; when Starbucks opened its first store in Milan in 2018, it faced intense opposition. At that time, Italian citizens protested fiercely, even setting fire to a tree planted by Starbucks in Piazza del Duomo.

Whenever Reed committed these 'taboo actions,' local Italian staff and customers held their heads or shook their heads in dismay. Some customers reported him to the restaurant manager, and a concerned staff member intervened, saying, "You shouldn't do that."

The media reported that Reed's series of videos showing 'insults to Italian food' surpassed 10 million views.

Overseas netizens who watched the videos reacted with comments like, "I'm not even Italian, but this made me cry," and "As an Italian, it felt like my heart stopped." On the other hand, some said, "It's rude to customers who pay for their food."

So-called 'Hangang Water Ramen,' which contains more water than the recipe calls for.
[Photo source=Online Community Capture]

Domestic netizens also empathized, commenting, "If a foreigner eats bibimbap without mixing it, I feel like I want to teach them how to eat it," and "If someone poured cold water into ramen at a snack bar, I think I would stare without realizing it."