Pizza. It’s a classic American cuisine, although more traditionally… it's Italian. But have you heard of “Hawaiian Pizza” before? In the US at least, this particular menu item is one that is somewhat controversial. Like the iPhone or Android debate, most people with a palate likely have an opinion on the appropriateness of the Hawaiian Pizza: pizza topped with ham (or bacon), and believe it or not, pineapples. 

In spite of its name, Hawaiian Pizza was actually created in Canada, by a Greek-born Canadian. He was inspired by his understanding of Chinese dishes, which often integrate a combination of the sweet and savory, and thought up topping pizza with pineapple and ham. Since its inception [1] in 1962, it’s grown to be, at the very least, widely available in America, although it is not without very vocal critics. 

Chef Gordon Ramsay, a well-known television personality and British chef has been recorded as stating that pineapple simply “does not go on pizza.” This criticism likely lines up with others who believe that the fruit is out of place on a dish largely focused on cheese and other savory flavors. In fact, the television chef goes so far as to have created a strange video in which he and several other chefs destroy a kitchen, after having been set off by the mere sight of pineapple on a pizza. 

Chef Chris Keyser, on the other hand, who is an executive chef at UNION, a well-known Italian restaurant, is “unabashedly [2] pro-pineapple.” He argues that it’s just a matter of being done correctly, but that it adds an exciting, acidic “punch” of flavor. 

Ultimately, the question of pineapple on pizza is one that likely won’t find resolution anytime in the near future. In spite of this, it’s culturally important to develop a stance on this controversial topic, should you ever decide to visit a pizza-heavy country in the near future.