Pizza is a unique savory food that people have gravitated toward for years. It is the meal that brings people together, oftentimes the center of family meals when it comes to big gatherings. It is one of the premier foods people think of when it comes to big-time games, fights, or even reunions.

One development that has become usual over time is toppings on pizza. Toppings like pepperoni, sausage and peppers are very popular. 

However, there is one topping that takes it too far.

Pineapple.

Pineapple is a fruit. Fruit should not be placed on pizza. Case closed. 

Pineapple on pizza or Hawaiian pizza, was invented in 1962 by Sam Panopoulos, who was a Greek-Canadian restaurateur at the Satellite restaurant in Ontario, Canada. 

In the quest to find an experimental topping, Panopoulos combined canned pineapple with ham to create the unique sweet and savory taste that you get eating that concoction. Funnily enough the name “Hawaiian Pizza” simply comes from the fact that it was named after the brand of pineapples used.

This creation was a huge mistake. Pizza is a savory food, and savory with sweetness does not mix. Pineapple is a fruit, creating a lot of juice within the pizza, which can cause many issues with texture, including an increase in sogginess and potential coldness. 

Furthermore, the juice that a pineapple provides could take away from the key taste of the marinara sauce. With the increase of moisture and wetness that pineapple provides, it could cause the crust to be damp, softening the crust.

The traditional Hawaiian pizza also has a huge overconsumption of salt combined with extra sweetness. The combination is a pure accident waiting to happen. This overcompensation is like putting a random pizza together on a cooking app; it simply does not work.

Pineapple does not complement pizza; it takes away from it with the constant acidity that the sweetness includes. The traditional tomato, cheese and sometimes the addition of herbs plus meat flavor are overpowered by the tangy and sweet taste of a singular pineapple.

Pineapple on pizza has ruined the traditional pizza creation. Pizza was first created in Naples, Italy, in the late 18th century as an Italian-based food. It was created at the time as a food that could be made quickly for the increasing working population. The original toppings were flatbread with toppings like tomatoes, cheese, garlic and oil.

Sticking pineapple on a pizza eliminates the original traditional use pizza was meant for. If people want fruit so badly, they could just order fruit with their pizza or go to the grocery store and buy fruit. Fruits can be used for many things like healthy desserts, cakes, smoothies, and even in juices plus yogurts. Fruit should never be used for pizza, snatching that traditional savory taste.

The addition of fruit on pizza diluted ingredient integrity. Food is made to complement, not to take over; pineapple takes over with its dominant sugary taste. Pizza was originally made to be handheld in a clean way. Pineapple creates this messy pizza that could be at risk of dripping juices and sauces, which is absolutely disgusting.

Pizza should be kept as a dish served with normal toppings, not one served for dessert or even with fruit. Pizza is the food that creates memories, and placing a fruit on it only disrupts those memories with the increased dopamine of a pineapple. 

Better to stick to tradition and eat a real pizza.

Categories: Opinion