Pineapple on Pizza: The story behind the most controversial pizza topping

When it comes to pizza toppings, there are a lot of controversial choices out there. But one topping reigns supreme in the debate: pineapple! Some people love it, some people hate it – everyone sure has an opinion about it.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the story behind pineapple on pizza. Who put pineapple on pizza first? How did it become popular? And most importantly, why do some people hate it so much?

Who put pineapple on pizza first?

Believe it or not, the story of the pineapple pizza or Hawaiian pizza actually starts in Canada in the early 1960s.

Sam Panopoulos is generally credited with inventing pineapple pizza. He was born in Greece but moved to Canada when he was 20, and didn’t start making pizzas until he opened a restaurant in Chatham, Ontario in 1962. His original idea for adding pineapple to pizza came from his time spent in Hawaii, where he saw people putting fruit on their pizzas. He thought it would be a good idea to try it out himself, and it turns out he was right! The combination of sweet and savory flavors was a hit with his customers and quickly gained popularity.

The Hawaiian pizza was born.

How did pineapple on pizza become popular?

After Panopoulos introduced his new pineapple pizzas in Canada the new topping really started to take off all over the world in the 1970’s. In the 70’s people were starting to become more adventurous with their food, and wanted to move away from traditional toppings like pepperoni and sausage. Trying exotic foods was considered cool at the time, and if you actually enjoyed it you might even be consider sophisticated for being able to appreciate flavors that most people didn’t.

Pineapple as a pizza toping was low risk adventurous options, compared to let’s say, sushi, and so people were curious about this strange new combination, and were willing to give it a try. It wasn’t long before pineapple pizza was being served in restaurants all over the globe.

Why do some people hate pineapple on pizza?

There are a few different reasons why people might not like pineapple on their pizza. For some, it’s simply a matter of taste – they don’t like the way the sweetness of the pineapple interacts with the savory flavors of the pizza. Others might object to pineapple on principle, because they think that fruit doesn’t belong on a savory dish like pizza.

Whatever the reason, there’s no doubt that pineapple on pizza is one of the most controversial toppings out there. Love it or hate it, there’s just something about this combination that gets people talking!

Should you hate pineapple pizza?

The truth is no pizza should be hated.

The thing that makes pizza unique and has enabled it to literally conquer the world, is its versatility. From the very beginning pizza wasn’t defined as a concrete list of ingredients, it was defined as crust with a sauce and some toppings. This definition allowed everyone to make pizza their own and customize it to their liking. If the recipe for pizzas was a precise as the recipe for a cheese souffle we probably would not be able to find pizza in every country around the globe. Versatility is probably one of the keys to the international success of pizza.

Italians believe every pizza topping deserves to be considered, analyzed and challenged, and pineapple is no exception! Top Italian chefs have already listed pizzas with pineapple on their menus, and they’ve proved successful. So if not even Italians hate pineapple on pizza, why should you!?