Practically everyone adores fast food. Most people are accustomed to the circular, or perhaps square, dough with tomato sauce and various other toppings as it is a popular food all over the world. But in recent years, the media has shown a backlash against those who enjoy pineapple on pizza instead of the typical meat usually expected. Why do people choose this topping, and why is this topping so hated in today's society?
Pineapple on pizza is usually mistaken as pizza that came from Hawaii, due to the more well-known term "Hawaiian Pizza". However, pineapple on pizza was actually invented in 1962 by Sam Panopoulos, a Greek immigrant living in Canada. Alongside his brothers, Panopoulos opened a restaurant in Ontario where he began serving the now-hated pizza. Since it came from one of the most-populated and most popular countries in the world, surely people wouldn't despise it so much?
Where does the debate come from? In 2019, the CISA published a document labelled "The War on Pineapple: Understanding the Foreign Interference in 5 steps". Since then, the debate and 'joke' reached an extreme all across the globe.
The main reason why pineapple on pizza is so hated is because it isn't seen as a "traditional" pizza topping. Science shows humans are most likely to try and prefer to stick to tradition. Similarly, pineapple is a sweet dish, so many will not like the combination of something sweet with something savoury. Also, there is no accounting for taste; there will always be someone who hates a food that others love. This means that although you may disagree with those who hate Hawaiian pizza, you may also hate something they enjoy. No one is entitled to like the same things as others.
Why has pineapple-on-pizza grown such a negative fanbase? Well, this could be because of the social media coverage of celebrities and other inspirational people. A famous example of this would be the words of Gordon Ramsey. A while back on Twitter, Ramsey posted his thoughts that "Pineapple does not go on top of pizza". As an infamous chef, many people around the world were influenced by his words, and therefore grew a hatred towards food. However, after backlash from fans, Gordon Ramsey mentioned on Instagram that "Pineapple pizza isn't that bad." Another example would be from US host Jimmy Kimmel, who ended a debate by saying "Pineapple doesn't go on pizza". The words of people with a large following are taken very seriously in this century, with many statements deciding whether fans continue liking a certain celebrity or not.
So, is pineapple on pizza a 21st-century crime? Icelandic president Guðni Th. Jóhannesson announced that, 'if he could, he would ban pineapple on pizza'. However, since those words were said, no actions have taken place to enforce this. In the game "Cyberpunk 2077", it is a criminal offence to put pineapple on pizza. At the end of the day, the use of pineapple on pizza is a universal debate, where some people love it and some hate it.
What is your opinion? Is pineapple a good topping to go on pizza?
Written by Shelbie Webb