Cheese, Pepperoni, Ham, and… Pineapple?

A string of soft cheese melts down the sides of the slice as it pulls away from the box, indicating a well-made oven-baked pizza. As a piece of pineapple slides towards the crust, you scramble to save it before it drops onto the floor. After all, the pineapple is the best part of the pizza! Or is it? One of the most intense and long-standing debates over the past few years is whether pineapple should be allowed on pizza. Some people will say that the texture is off-putting and that the flavor is not authentically Italian, while others believe it’s a necessary addition to a heavenly slice of cheese, ham, and marinara.

Commonly known as Hawaiian pizza, the combination of a ham and pineapple topping was invented by Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos for a restaurant in Ontario in 1962. Over the past 60 years, it has grown to be one of the most loved, and hated, pizza combinations in America. According to a YouGov poll in 2019, 17% of people who live in the Western United States say that pineapple is their favorite topping.

I, as a person who enjoys eating all kinds of pizza, believe that pineapple on pizza is an  acceptable pizza combination. The sweet and juicy flavor of the pineapple complements the usually savory flavor profile of a more authentic pizza. If you really hate pineapple on pizza, maybe it’s just because you’ve been scarred by a bad experience in the past. A well-made pizza would balance the crispiness of the crust and the soft pineapple to make a perfect match! So, if you aren’t a fan of pineapple on pizza, maybe it’s time to reconsider and give it another chance.