Louis XIII: The world’s most expensive pizza  

Do you salivate at the thought of a hot pizza, topped with your favourite veggies, slivers of chicken and lots of cheese? If yes, how much would you be willing to pay for it? A thousand rupees? For a really tasty one in a good setting, maybe 5000? But do you know there is a pizza which costs 77 lakh rupees and people are willing to pay for it? Yes, we are talking about the world’s most expensive pizza, Louis XIII, which costs a whopping $12,000!  

The origin story 
Louis XIII’s creator is Renato Viola who makes the pizza for a select crowd in Salerno, a coastal city in Italy. At 20 cm, this pizza serves two people. The best part about the pizza is that you can customise it to your preference.  

The creator  
Renato Viola is a master pizza chef and amongst Italy's finest cuisine experts. He is also a member of the Italian Acrobatic Pizza Team and is one of the most renowned pizza makers across the globe.  

The preparation 
Viola’s creation, Louis XIII takes 72 hours to prepare. Viola is helped by a sommelier (a wine specialist) and another chef while making it. It is a flat pie made out of the most refined flour. Considering it's the most expensive pizza in the world, the Louis XIII doesn't just come in any old pizza box. Instead, it's served with special dishes and cutlery provided by Viola's team. A generous spread of Mozarella di bufala, cheese made out of the milk collected from domestic Italian buffaloes gives the pizza its signature moist, chewy and cheesy touch.  

The most exclusive ingredients which are also the most expensive are the lobsters which are prepared and flamed with cognac. Other exotic toppings that go into making the most expensive pizza are three types of exotic caviars, Mediterranean species of Shrimp and the Australian pink salt handpicked from river Murray.  

As you'd imagine, a side of Pepsi won't do this pizza justice. So instead, the Louis XIII is paired with, not one, but three types of alcohol: cognac, champagne, and brandy, or more specifically, Remy Martin Cognac Louis XIII, Champagne Krug Clos Du Mesnil 1995, and Cardenal Mendoza Sanchez Charter Real Romate Finos. This is just as important to the meal as the pizza itself, especially since the pizza shares a name with the cognac with which it is served. 

Wondering how many years of your savings would help you bite into this lip-smacking wonder?