The Controversial Topic of Pineapple on Pizza

By Ava Retter

After one of my late night dinners, I looked at the Hawaiian pizza rests and wondered about how this pineapple on pizza creation came to be. I sipped my coconut tasting Piña Colada in a champagne glass and thought “How come this pizza could be so controversial” and “why did someone put the pineapple from my Piña Colada on the pizza”

And with that I pulled out my computer and started to research it.

First, a quick history lesson:

Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada. A pizza topped with pineapple, tomato sauce, mozzarella and ham or bacon is classified a Hawaiian.

A man by the name of Sam Panopoulos created the first pineapple topped Hawaiian pizza in a restaurant in Chatham-Kent, Ontario in 1962. 

He got his inspiration from sweet and sour Canadian Chinese dishes of the 60s. The pizza was one first of “fusion” dishes, if not, pizzas as the popularity of fusion cuisine started to skyrocket.

Now to get down to it:

Pros to having pineapple on pizza

1. Pineapple is a good source of vitamin c (a vitamin that protects the immune system), fiber (helps with digestion) and manganese, an antioxidant (protects cells from small problematic particles that like to damage them.)

2. Pineapple has bromelain which aids digestion and bloating. 

3. It uses something called Flavour Layering. Flavour layering is when you combine 2 or more of 5 taste bud sectors in a dish, like sweet and salty. Flavour layering means you don't get tired of the taste and the combo sends positive vibes to your brain!

Cons to having pineapple on pizza

1. Pineapple can make the pizza soggy due to its high water content (85% water!)

2. Tomatoes, a pH of 4 and pineapple, a pH of 3 or 4 combined are so acidic, they can hurt your stomach! For context, a lemon only has a pH of 4!

3. Pineapple’s sugar and acidity levels are so high, the flavour of the pineapple may overpower every other topping on the pizza. 

What the people think 

Out of the 15 people I asked, the scale was surprisingly equal. 6 people said pineapple on pizza was the worst thing on the earth. 3 people, 4 including myself were in the middle. We didn't have an opinion and weren't definitively yes or no. Another 6 people said yes, pineapple on pizza is the best creation and they would bow down at Mr. Panopoulos feet if they ever saw him. These people are out of luck though, Panopoulos died in 2017. 

Regardless of your opinion we can all appreciate that in his honor, Panopoulos’ birthday, August 20th, is now known as international Hawaiian Pizza day. 🍕🍍