New Pizza Hut Japan Offering is Sooo Much Coriander (LOL)

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I have always known pizza Hut Japan for their creative flavoring offering. However, their latest might be, in their own words, a little “too much.”

That’s a lotta grass

PHJ has dubbed the product「パクチーすぎて草」, or “Too Much Coriander (Cilantro) LOL”. It’s a play on the kanji 草, which originally means “grass” but is used as shorthand for laughter in online slang.

This extremely green creation debuted on March 20 and will be available to order until April 9th. 250 of Pizza Hut’s just over 500 Japan locations will sell the pizza. This includes stores in downtown Tokyo, Kyoto, and other major cities. The official announcement warns that the pizza will only be available in limited quantities, so interested parties should order sooner rather than later.

An advertisement for the pizza guarantees “at least 3 full stalks of coriander” will top each slice of this medium-sized pie. The picture attached to the ad shows a pile of pizza completely covered with coriander until only the very edges of the crust are visible.

However, an article on the official Pizza Hut Japan site introducing the creation reveals what lies beneath the herb heap. The pizza also features cheese, tomato sauce, shrimp, and yangnyeom sauce. Yangnyeom is a spicy-sweet sauce often served with or atop Korean-style fried chicken. [1]

Pizza Hut Wants A Slice of The Gen-Z Pie

The cilantro mountain gives the pizza a distinctive green color. However, its March debut has nothing to do with the recently passed St. Patrick’s Day holiday. When asked “why,” a spokesperson for Pizza Hut Japan explained that they designed “Too Much Coriander Pizza” to appeal to a younger audience – specifically Generation Z.

Pizza Hut chose coriander from over 100 proposed “eccentric” ideas because it is a divisive and unique food. Their marketing team believes it will spark discussion among Gen Z consumers. Ads for the product include the phrasing “even if you don’t like coriander, this pizza could be a conversation starter,” further emphasizing its potentially viral nature.

【公式】ピザハット on TikTok

143 Likes, TikTok video from 【公式】ピザハット (@pizza_hut_japan): “※私たちには妖精さんは見えていませんでしたよ😇 #ピザハット#もりせいじゅ #パクチーの妖精 #パクチー #パクチーすぎて草”. オリジナル楽曲 – もりせいじゅ🥢（足元におてもと）.

To tie in with the pizza’s Gen Z theming, the announcement was accompanied by an official TikTok video . It shows the team pitching the idea to Pizza Hut Japan president Nakamura Shoichi and others. It is likely that Pizza Hut hoped that the pizza would catch on with viral video creators on TikTok, YouTube and other platforms. “Food challenges,” in which content creators consume unique menu items or large amounts of food on video, are currently quite popular.

As of the time of writing, at least one reporter – Rocket News 24’s Egawa Tasuku – has taste tested the pizza. Egawa, although a self-reported cilantro fan, described the flavor as “monotonous” and stated that the “too much” name was accurate. [2]

Coriander: Superb Herb or “Nope, That’s Soap?”

Coriander, also known as cilantro, Chinese parsley, or pak chee (from which its Japanese name パクチー is derived), may just be one of the most divisive foods in the world. Some people love it, while others find it disgusting. They compare its odor and flavor to soap, dirt, grass, vomit, or other unpleasant or inedible items.

Studies indicate that genetic variations in the body’s olfactory receptors influence this wide gulf in public opinion. Specifically, it may come from the OR6A2 gene, which regulates odor perception signals sent between the nose and the brain. [3] Pizza Hut’s ads for the “Too Much Cilantro” pie insist that “even those who don’t like coriander can enjoy it.” Scientists may disagree!

Japan typically falls on the “like” side of the spectrum with cilantro. Chefs use it in soups and stews, as a garnish on top of noodle dishes, rice bowls, and omurice, and even as a potato chip flavor. In 2016, the Gurunavi Research Institute even named coriander as Japan’s “Dish of the Year.” [4]