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One of the biggest controversies, when it comes to pizza, is if pineapple is an acceptable pizza topping. According to wonderopolis.org when asked about pineapple as a pizza topping, 22% of people loved it, 37% liked it, 18% disliked it and 19% hated it. Overall, this shows that there is quite a large conflict between opposing sides with over 41% of people having strong opinions one way or the other.

According to the BBC, pineapple as a pizza topping dates back to the mid 1950s and is commonly referred to as Hawaiian pizza. This pizza was commercialized in 1962 by Sam Panopoulos, a Greek immigrant to Canada who introduced pizza into his menu at his restaurant after a trip to Naples, Italy. Panopoulos came up with the idea of pineapple pizza from the Chinese dish sweet and sour chicken. When he added canned pineapple with ham he had no idea if it would be a hit with the customers, but soon found that the sweet and savory combination was a winner.

Pineapple pizza is amazing and brings to life flavors that one would never imagine possible in pizza. Pineapple pizza is best served with ham, cheese, marinara sauce and a well spiced hand tossed crust. When combined with the savory goodness of ham, the sweet acidic pineapple comes to life in extraordinary ways. I would even go to say that it feels like a sweet and savory party in your mouth that doesn’t start until pineapple pizza arrives. If you have never tried pineapple pizza I strongly encourage you to do so.

One amazing experience I have had with pineapple pizza was in Costa Rica. Pineapple pizza is a global food but is best when you can get fresh pineapple in tropical places where it is grown.

Now that you have heard my opinion, I would love to hear yours. Please fill out this survey for a later article on what the student body thinks about pineapple pizza.

Click here to participate in this Advocate survey.