BY JULIE SULLIVAN ‘23

In a culinary world inundated with discourse of all kinds, everyone has their own heated opinions to throw around. Personal tastes vary from each person to the next, and every hot take is valid in its own way. One debate, however, has continued to find its way into every kitchen and family dinner for decades, and no resolution seems to have been made: does pineapple really belong on pizza? In the name of artistic freedom and inclusivity, I am a firm believer that it does.

Despite its name, Hawaiian pizza was not, in fact, invented in Hawaii. Its creation should instead be attributed to a wonderful Canadian man in 1962, an innovative genius who can be considered nothing less than a hero of his time. Before that stroke of brilliance, innovations in the pizza world had been far too slow, with the traditional pepperoni and cheese pizzas having dominated the scene for centuries too long. There’s nothing wrong with a good old fashioned cheese pizza, of course. But the world needed a change in scenery, and this new, most controversial topping managed to grab the attention of every pizza aficionado in the world.

When one experiences a Hawaiian pizza, it’s absolutely critical to get a bit of pineapple in every bite. The fruit hangs sweet against one’s taste buds with the sugar of invention and the acidity of innovation. It’s a delicacy, and it must be treated as such. The flavors swirl together, a whirlwind of shapes and colors that are best experienced with one’s eyes closed. The pineapple itself is undeniably sweet, its texture grainy and slippery and incredibly satisfying beneath one’s teeth. The sauce compliments it perfectly, and the savory blanket of cheese serves to add a certain traditionality that balances the more exotic pineapple in a marvelous way. The honeyed ham that often accompanies the fruit matches its sweetness with an almost comforting taste, without drawing the attention away from the true star of the show.

This juicy combination of sweet and savory might not sit well with every palate, and it would be unfair to insist that everybody needs to enjoy pineapple on pizza. If we were to take every person’s personal tastes as an attack towards the integrity and artistic freedom of the pizza world, we would be just as bad, if not, worse, than even the most traditional pizza purists. This crowd of pizza enjoyers who refuse to acknowledge the genius of topping creativity, is one of our greatest opponents in this decades-long-debate. They maintain the firm belief that there’s no place for pineapple in the pizza world, and, despite the success of the flavor, consider it the greatest abomination to tradition. Change is difficult for many to come to terms with, but it’s now been 60 years since the joyful first union of pineapple and pizza. The classic cheese-and-sauce base remains as a tribute to tradition, while the pineapple and ham push it to a completely new level. Pizza purists are a conservative crowd, and their closed minds towards the greater scene of toppings does nothing but harm their own personal experiences with culinary discovery. The same debates aren’t spouted about buffalo chicken pizza (ranch?? blue cheese??) or spinach pizza or any other recent flavor creations. So why are people so adamant that pineapple does not belong on pizza? It’s time to leave behind those closed minds and—at long last—embrace inclusivity, accepting that pineapple deserves a spot in our hearts as a valid pizza topping.

Does pineapple belong on pizza? Yes.