Paying by the pound(or Kilogram in this case)

I wanted to touch upon a cool little difference between ordering pizza in the U.S and ordering it here. I'm not going to go into the differences/which is better because that is basically an unfair fight, but I'm going to talk about instead how you buy pizza.

In the states you go out with your friends for a 'slice'. And that's exactly what you order, a slice (or 2 or 3) of pizza. You are charged naturally, by the slice. You can also buy a whole pizza and save by buying in bulk. But why am I telling you something you already know? Here's the part you may not know(and my whole reason for this post).In Italy buying pizza is a bit different. Prices are by the kilogram. 9-14 euro per kilogram is about average around here, depending on where and what type of pizza it is. I know I said I wasn't going to talk about the differences but a pizza here is not round. It has squared off corners, straight edges and is made on long trays. Ordering a slice then, isn't the normal pie slice you're used to. It is a rectangular block of pizza. So how big is a slice? That's up to you actually. Once you order the person behind the counter will ask how big, pointing a knife down at an average size, and it's your job to tell him either smaller or bigger until you have the amount you want. So if each slice is a different size, how do you pay for it? That's where the kilogram prices come in again. Pizza goes on a scale, weight and price are calculated, and it is thrown back in the oven to heat. Average price for a normal slice is 2-3 euro, and you get a nice piece of pizza.

It does seem to make sense doing it this way now that I think of it. When you go to the grocery store and buy deli meat, or other specialty foods, you pay per pound. So why not get exactly how much pizza you want and pay for just that much? All this pizza talk is making me hungry, if only pizza places around here were open as late as they are back home...