There is a widely held opinion that the consumption of pineapple as a topping on pizza is socially and morally reprehensible. The pineapple has suffered many insults as a result of this backwards thinking, despite the huge popularity of flavours of pizza such as Hawaiian, of which the pineapple is a major component. It is about time that a case for the humble pineapple as a pizza topping was brought forward.
Accusations against the fruit range from silly (“Pineapples are tropical, not Italian!”) to downright illogical (“Pineapples are fruits and fruits don’t go on pizza!”). People making such accusations are committing a great blunder by ignoring the fact that tomatoes themselves are a fruit, and enjoy a high status when it comes to being a component of pizza. In addition, it is the nature of food and cuisines to evolve into something beyond what was originally envisioned by their creators. While pizza was indeed invented originally in Italy, and had nothing to do with pineapples back then, the dish has a come a long way since. Claiming that pineapples do not belong on pizza since they are not traditionally Italian would be silly, especially considering the fact that pizza as it is served in many parts of the world today looks nothing like traditional Italian wood-fired brick oven pizza.
When making pizza, as with any other food, one should be concerned with the balance of flavours and texture. Pineapples help to achieve this goal by serving as a great contrast to salty meats such as sliced ham, through a combination of juicy sweetness with a little bit of sour and zest, as is the case with the Hawaiian. Here’s a fun fact: the Hawaiian pizza is actually a Canadian invention! This piece of information should only add to the appeal of this great flavour. Indeed, the Hawaiian pizza is the most popular pizza in Australia, accounting for 15% of pizza sales.
However, let us not limit this magical fruit to the one variety of pizza we are used to associating it with. There are plenty of other combinations one can come up with: imagine a perfectly baked pizza pie base with the choicest tomato sauce and cheese, along with deliciously juicy thick-cut Canadian bacon, and spicy jalapenos to balance the sweet and sour tang of the pineapple. If that doesn’t sound delicious, then you might be a terrible person. So the next time you eat pizza, whether you’re baking it at home or dropping by the local pizza store, give the humble pineapple a shot: you won’t regret it.
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