If there’s one thing I hope to change in the world, is to get rid of the idea of pineapple belonging on pizza. This is arguably the most divisive food-related debate that will continue to be on-going. According to pizza chefs all around New York, pineapple on pizza is NOT acceptable – and I totally agree.
Pineapple is one of the top-ten requested pizza topping in America, and all of the pizza chefs in New York hate this. One chef, Anthony Carron who is owner of 800 Degrees Pizza said, “I would never eat pineapple on a pizza, nor would any self-respecting Italian.” Some pizza businesses have lost some customers because they do not carry pineapple on their menu. A couple of years later and by high demand of pizza, Carron decided to put his own beliefs aside and to add pineapple on his menu. To this day, this famous pizza chef still considers it to be “garbage.”
Let’s take Hawaiian Pizza for example. Ah, yes, the famous ham, cheese and… pineapple. Creator, Sam Panopoulous decided to try out pineapple on pizza to attract more customers to his pizzeria. Born in Greece and moved to Canada, he wanted to try it out for fun. In 1962, Panopoulous said that this time was a time when everyone was trying new things. Curious customers asked to “have a slice,” and that’s how it became famous to the public. In short, pineapple on pizza started off as a joke – and I still consider it to be a joke. Famous chef Gordon Ramsay ends the debate whether pineapple belongs on pizza or not. On one of his shows, he quotes, “You don’t put f- pineapple on pizza.”
So why is it called “Hawaiian” pizza? Let’s start with the origin of pineapple – it’s not historically a local fruit here in Hawaii. It’s from southern Brazil and Paraguay, and natives were the ones to spread it across South America which eventually landed it here in Hawaii. Panopoulous named it “Hawaiian Pizza” because the can of pineapple they used said “Made in Hawaii.” The additive of ham was also a joke too – but the combination of sweet from the pineapple and savory of the ham is what makes Hawaiian pizza the top 15 sellers of pizza choice.
I’m speaking as a person who will eat any popular pizza in the world. I asked my friend Dante, who is born and raised in Italy if pineapple belongs on pizza, and he said, “Shut the f- up.” This is probably the best advice someone has ever given me. Needless to say, pineapple and pizza are a no-go. The only thing pineapple should be mixed in with is an adult beverage.