The pizza that caused an international uproar
Sam Panopoulos a chef in Canada created the Hawaiian pizza. He was neither Hawaiian nor Italian. Born in 1934, he moved to Canada when 20 and ran a restaurant with his brothers in Ontario. A visit to Naples –the birthplace of pizza, inspired him to add the Italian favorite to the restaurant’s menu, which until then served burgers and pancakes.
Panopoulos wanted to introduce a topping that differed from the standard mushroom, anchovies and pepperoni. Capitalizing on America’s new found love of Chinese food, especially it’s sweet and sour flavours; he spread canned pineapple and sliced ham over the pizza’s cheese and tomato sauce base. Panopoulos said he enjoyed the contrast between the pineapple’s sweetness and the savory flavor of the ham. He named it Hawaiian pizza after the brand name of the can of pineapples from which the slices were used on the pizza.
Pork (in this case ham), and pineapple is, of course, not the only fruit and meat pairing in world cuisine. The French paired duck with a sweet orange sauce. Iranian pilaf mixes lamb with pomegranate. American Thanksgiving dinners would be incomplete without cranberry sauce accompanying the traditional turkey. Combinations of ‘Fusion’ food, perhaps long in the making before the term was even coined.
As in the case of most things, you either like it or you don’t and foods are no exception. However, unlike other foods, the Hawaiian Pizza stirred people’s emotions – some hailed it a classic dish whilst others labeled it criminal. In many parts of the US, Britain, Asia and Australia, the Hawaiian pizza soon became a ‘must have’ on the menu. In Italy, where the pizza was born, if you order a pizza with pineapple, be prepared to receive a look of horror from a shocked waiter. The Italians considered it an aberration. Even celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey waded in, tweeting about his hatred of the controversy it has caused.
The debate on whether a pizza should have pineapple in it or not became so heated that it spilled over from the culinary to a near diplomatic clash of words (mildly though). In 2017, the president of Iceland, Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, the President of Iceland, told an audience of school children that he was so fundamentally opposed to pineapple on pizza that he would ban it in his country if he could. He even took to Facebook clarifying his position on pineapples in general, and their specific presence on pizza. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau twittered, saying “I stand behind this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation”.
So, why is the Hawaiian Pizza so discordant? As explained by a food expert "It could be that some people may not like the sweet taste of pineapple when it goes with salty pizza ingredients such as ham, sausage, cheeses, However, some people may like the sweet-and-sour taste to balance the salty taste of pizzas. Some pizza ingredients, especially in frozen pizza, are much saltier than before, so topping with some sweet stuff can neutralize the salty taste. Maybe, it opened the door for pineapple to become a popular pizza topping."
Whoever thought that a pizza could cause such a furor? Sam Panopoulos certainly didn’t.
Ilzaf Keefahs is a freelance writer who enjoys focusing on hospitality related matters that he is passionate about, and likes to share his views with hoteliers and customers alike. He delves into the heart of hospitality to figure out both customer service and consumer trends that impact the industry.
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