I had been eyeing Mama Cozzi’s Cuban Brand Pizza for a few Special Buy cycles now; it seems to be available every other month lately.  But I was always hesitant for one reason or another…until this last time, when I stalled for only a second before finally picking it up and tossing it in my cart.

I think the main cause for the indecision were the ingredients: Crème Fraiche sauce (didn’t have a clue what that was), with MUSTARD, two kinds of cheeses, meats, and banana peppers.  Now, we have a local pizza shop that has even weirder pizzas than this (one I tried there had a mustard/sour cream base with tuna, for God’s sake), but the advantage that place has is that all their ingredients are fresh, and they are cooked in a wood-fire oven.  Even though Mama Cozzi’s frozen pizzas tend to be pretty good, I honestly wasn’t sure how they could pull this one off.

Well pull it off they do…this pizza is simply marvelous, and that’s not a word I tend to throw around.  The crème fraiche, which I have since learned is basically a less sour version of sour cream, provides a nice, light foundation that blends perfectly with all the ingredients.  I even enjoyed the banana peppers, which I don’t like at all; but here, they simply add a very light spice, while the flavor never stands out, balancing out with the rest of the ingredients.  Considering all the meats on here (there’s Canadian bacon, and both small bacon bits and larger bacon strips), it never becomes overly salty, like most such pizzas.  In fact, it all comes off feeling rather “light”; all the flavors are soft, with none being bland, but none being outrageously over-the-top.  In other words, it’s completely the opposite of what I would have expecting going in.

And while I highly doubt this pizza is very authentic to actual Cuban cuisine or culture, it’s definitely unique enough to hit a different set of taste buds than the normal American pizza, which is perfect if you want something out of the ordinary.  I’m not sure I’d get this pizza again during the same Special Buy cycle–there are plenty of other options, pizza and otherwise, that I’d like to get around to–but come the next time it’s offered, I wouldn’t hesitate to get it again.  It’s really good, especially for a frozen pizza with some rather unorthodox ingredients.

Overall: 8/10. Put aside your concerns and give this pizza a shot:  Even though there are a couple different kinds of meats and two different kinds of cheeses, it not only manages to avoid tasting overly salty, but it somehow tastes “light”.  There’s not an overwhelming amount of any ingredient, and the crème fraiche (think a less sour version of sour cream, if Wikipedia is to be trusted) is smooth and provides an excellent base.  It’s not your standard “American” pizza, and it hits a different set of taste buds, but it also hits the spot.  Excellent stuff.