No food has split the world’s opinion quite like Hawaiian pizza. Some argue that it's not even a pizza. But who created it? Find out the fascinating story behind this divisive dish:
Who invented it?
Surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly), Hawaiian pizza isn’t even from Hawaii. The creator of the pizza has nothing to do with Italy or Hawaii. The inventor of the controversial meal was Sam Panopoulos, a Greek-born Canadian chef and businessman. The invention wasn’t even planned; Sam opened a restaurant with his brother that served different meals, including pizza. One day in 1962, Sam decided to experiment by putting some pineapple on one of their pizzas.
Why did he make a pineapple pizza?
The inspiration behind the infamous decision was Asian food, which utilises pineapple in sweet and sour dishes. Sam decided to experiment by using some on his pizzas, as he loved concocting unique flavours. As they say, the rest is history!
How did the world react to this?
In the beginning, no one expected the ‘Hawaiian’ pizza to stir much controversy. But, when Italy found out about Sam’s culinary abomination, they reported it to the Confagricoltura: Italy’s General Confederation of Agriculture. In Italy, any new pizza must be approved by the Confagricoltura to be classified as authentic pizza. Because of the national outrage, the Hawaiian pizza never got official approval. Their rationale was that pineapple is a ‘foreign culture’ ingredient. Thanks to Confagricoltura’s decision, Hawaiian pizzas are very difficult to come across in Italy’s restaurants.
The debate has made it to the very top of government
In 2017, Iceland’s president said that he would ban Hawaiian pizza completely if it were possible. On the other hand, Canada’s president, Justin Trudeau went on the record to back his compatriot’s invention, saying: "I have a pineapple. I have a pizza. And I stand behind this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation." He also said he’d be more than proud to make it one of Canada’s national dishes.
Worldwide fame
The debate about pineapple on pizza looks set to continue forever. It’s been the subject of countless memes and debates.
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