Starchild: Why Malaysian kids enjoy eating pizza

Asher Wang Qi Chuen, 6

Pizza is a popular dish loved by people all across the world, and here in Malaysia, it is no different!

Whether you're in Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Sabah, you can find pizza in many restaurants and food stalls. But do you know where pizza comes from?

Lim Sheng Hao, 11Pizza started in Italy a long time ago. It is made by baking a flat piece of dough and topping it with all sorts of yummy ingredients. The most famous pizza is the margherita, which has tomato sauce, cheese and fresh basil leaves.

In Malaysia, we love to add our own twist to pizza. You can find pizzas topped with rendang, sambal, or even durian!

Pizza is a fun food to share with friends and family. You can enjoy it at birthday parties, picnics, or even when watching a football match. In Malaysia, many families like to order pizza delivery, especially when they want a quick and tasty meal.

The great thing about pizza is that you can make it your own. Do you like seafood? You can add prawns and squid. Are you a fan of vegetables? You can load your pizza with mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions. For cheese lovers, there’s the cheesy crust pizza, which has gooey cheese inside the crust.

Recently Starchild asked readers to send in letters on the topic, Pizza. Here's what they had to say.

Tunku Murshid Mughni Tunku Mohar, 6

"I like pizza because it has tomato and cheese. The cheese is my favourite part. I also love the crust of the pizza because it is crispy. Pizza is also Garfield's favourite food. My parents often bring me out to eat pizza," says Tunku Murshid Mughni Tunku Mohar, six.

Chuah Seng Koon, 8

"If I could create my own pizza, it would look like a regular pepperoni pizza, but with a twist! Instead of a plain crust, the crust would be stuffed with cheese. While the sauce would still be tomato, the bread itself would have extra cheese fillings inside. It would be a super cheesy pizza, with even more cheese added on top! I imagine it would be delicious," writes eight-year-old Chuah Seng Koon.

Wong Cheng Yang, 10

Wong Cheng Yang, 10, says: "Pizza is one of my favourite fast foods. It is dough baked with different toppings on top. My favourite toppings are pepperoni with double cheese. However, if I could ever create my own toppings, I would choose marshmallows, M&Ms, and chocolate because I have a sweet tooth. It will be the best pizza ever!"

Ong Keat Ming, 5

"I love to eat pizza and so do my friends, cousins and relatives. Sometimes, my friends bring Italian food like pizza and pasta to school for lunch. Sometimes it is homemade and sometimes it’s leftovers from the day before. However either way it’s still really delicious. Nowadays, I have started making pasta and pizza at home. They aren't perfect yet, but I think they’re pretty good. Do you like Italian food?" says Lim Sheng Hao, 11.

"I like to eat pizza very much, it's on my list of favourite foods. For me, a nice pizza is one with ham and pepperoni, but no pineapples. I like to dine in at local pizza eateries because pizza tastes best when served hot and fresh from the oven," says Asher Wang Qi Chuen, six.

ITEM: Imagine you are an umbrella designer. What creative designs would you come up with for your umbrella? Would you draw bright colours, cool patterns, or something completely different? Maybe you'd design an umbrella with pictures of your favorite cartoon or anime characters. Or, perhaps you'd choose an environmentally friendly design that shows trees, animals, or even a message to protect the Earth!

Next, think about the materials you would use to make your umbrella. Would it be made from plastic, nylon, or something special like silk? You could even think of using recycled materials to help the planet.

Email your contributions to [e-mail] by Oct 11. Please put "STARCHILD: Umbrella" in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.