Slice - slice.seriouseats.com

We Have a Winnah!

Posted by Adam Kuban, June 27, 2005 at 11:45 AM

A winner in the Slice Pizza Haiku Contest, that is. We asked readers last week to compose a haiku and submit it for the chance to win one of three fabulous prizes. (Or maybe not so fabulous, depending on your penchant for Japanese snack food.)

We had 18 entries (we expected more; come on, people!), so it was a tough decision, but here are the winners, as selected by yours truly....

Third Prize a.k.a. Second Runner-Up a.k.a. Bronze a.k.a. Show
flour on marble
blooms into flames crisping dough  
bubbling cheese cools
— N.H. Liao

I thought Ms. Liao's entry was the most poetic of the haiku submitted, presenting two distinct yet complementary thoughts that evoke the image of an almost-too-hot-to-eat pizza. She wins a Japanese-language "I Love Pizza" pin (above right). [Full disclosure: I am acquainted with Ms. Liao, and you're going to have to trust me when I say that this did not affect my scoring.]

Second Prize a.k.a. First Runner-Up a.k.a. Silver a.k.a. Place
Next morning fridge slice
The truest test of pizza
Beats Cheerios always
— Eric Sohn

Mr. Sohn's Yoda-esque haiku speaks a universal truth about pizza. Almost any pie tastes great hot from the oven. But a night in icy lock-up truly reveals whether a slice can hold its own. And who would pass up tasty cold pizza for a bowl of flavorless whatever-the-hell-they're-made-of Cheerios? Mr. Sohn (who I do not know) will receive one (1) box of Crispy Pizza Pretz (above left) and a Japanese "I Love Pizza" pin.

And the winner is ...

First Place a.k.a. Grand Prize a.k.a. Gold a.k.a. Win
crisp pepperoni
edge curled from heat
a chalice of sweet, hot oil
— Mr. Sin

Love it. "Mr. Sin," if that is his real name, unknowingly tapped into my earliest memories of pizza—the way pepperoni does that thing it does (see haiku above). It's something I've always wanted to mention on this site but never had an excuse or reason to do so. Mr. Sin gets three (3) boxes of Crispy Pizza Pretz and one (1) Japanese-language "I Love Pizza" pin for his "rhyme" skillz.

Again, thanks to all who entered. There were some tough choices here. And, because everyone's a winner at Slice, all entrants are eligible to receive an English-language Slice button if they so desire. Slice management will be contacting all entrants and winners later in the day for mailing info.

4 Comments | Tags: Foreign, Japan, Pizza Events, Pizza Flavored, Slice Events