Pineapple on my pizza?! Pineapple on my pizza…

By Tamanna Gera

What’s the most interesting food combination you’ve ever tried before? 

Maybe you’ve tried something crazy, like a peanut butter and pickle sandwich. Or maybe it’s something that has been ongoing and trending like pizza but with hot honey drizzled on top. The possibilities of what and how you can eat food are endless, with millions of different flavours and combinations your tastebuds can experience. One unique pairing has long sparked a worldwide friendly debate about whether this invention should even be allowed. Pineapple on pizza, or as we call it in Canada, Hawaiian pizza. 

This sweet, sour and everything-in-between combination opened doors to the clashing tastes of sweet and salty. Whether putting fruit on greasy fast food is going a bit too far, or if it’s opening doors to the fusion of global cuisine–why has this become such a controversial fan favourite?

Hawaiian pizza was invented by a Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos. After moving to Chatham-Kent, Ont.  opened a traditional American restaurant called “Satellite” in 1962. While he focused more on making foods such as burgers and fries, he started experimenting with more foods such as Chinese cuisine and, of course, pizza.

Panopoulos reportedly came up with the name “Hawaiian pizza” after using pineapple from a can that said “Hawaiian” on it.

The controversies against Hawaiian pizza originated from various origins of beliefs. Many believe that fruit does not belong on pizza—excluding tomatoes of course, or that it takes away from the flavour of the pizza by replacing it with tropical tanginess and fruits on something that should be salty and savoury. Others may dislike the textural clash of soft and mushy pineapple against the crispy texture of pizza dough.. 

CanCulture conducted a survey on the streets and out of 40 people, 55 per cent agreed that pineapple does belong on pizza while, the remaining 45 per cent did not like this combination. On social media, Hawaiian pizza has been portrayed as a meme of criticism that often, people start hating Hawaiian pizza without even tasting it.

On the other hand, there are pizza connoisseurs who enjoy the combination of sweet and salty, the juicy and tangy flavour of pineapple on pizza. Some believe the pineapple flavour strongly compliments the traditional tomato sauce and dough combination with a tropical sensation. Others like the chewy texture of the pineapple that goes along with the pizza. 

This sparked debate and has led celebrities to voice their opinions such as Dwayne Johnson describing it by saying “MY JAM — with ham” or others such as Gordon Ramsay publicly opposing it saying that “pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza”. This culinary invention — since conception — has been a constant spark of popular culture debate, showcasing the broadened variety of tastes we all have.

Beyond being a unique food combination, Hawaiian pizza is a fusion of an Americanized dish of Italian origin with a touch of a global sensation. It represents thinking outside the box of bringing together tastes from all over the world, bringing people together for friendly debate over “better taste preferences.” Pineapple on pizza is an example of how unexpected flavours can blow one’s taste buds away. 

Going out to eat means choosing from the various global cuisines we can now find right where we live. From Italian to Mexican to Indian, the fusions of food and what to choose from are wide-ranging and diverse. Just as Panopoulos came up with his invention of the pineapple pizza that is now both globally loved and despised, restaurants continue to experiment with the fusion of cultural flavours. The cultural connection for people is significantly rooted in those living away from their homes. 

Students living in Toronto can experience this living in one of the most diverse cities in the world. With areas unique to various cultures such as Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Italy etc, Toronto has over 9,000 thousand different restaurants to try authentic food from. Not only does Toronto serve authentic, but is also known for its fusions of food such as Indian-style poutine or jerk chicken with chow mein combining Chinese and Caribbean cuisines together. 

Being able to find different traditional foods gives one a taste of comfort and something to indulge in. Being able to try other cuisines and broaden your tastes allows you to discover the job of food and how it connects cultures and cuisines together. Next time you’re walking down the street or pondering where to eat, take a moment to look around at just how many possibilities of flavours you have to try.