Trudeau says pineapple on pizza is ‘pretty divisive’. He’s not wrong

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Pineapple on pizza? That’s the question Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put to his X followers in a Dec. 3 post.

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The occasion to raise the question was a chat with some kids at an unidentified school, while Trudeau was promoting the Liberal government’s new school lunch program.

“Still pretty divisive,” Trudeau wrote in answer to his own question. “But here’s something we can all agree on: kids deserve healthy meals in school. The National School Food Program is making that happen.”

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Among the other polarizing food debates involving pizza, according to Business Insider magazine are: Do you fold the slice? Do you eat deep-dish pizza?

The pineapple-on-pizza debate focuses on ingredients, specifically the combination of sweet (the pineapple, of course) and savoury (meat, usually ham). To some, the “clash of flavours” is what fuels the debate, saying it can “unsettle even the most harmonious groups.”

But why?

Canadian inventor of Hawaiian Pizza was Greek immigrant

Going back in pizza history, you would find that “Hawaiian pizza” has nothing to do with the popular vacation island. Instead, it was created by a Greek immigrant named Sam Panopoulos who, in fact, made Canada his home in 1954.

His restaurant called Satellite, in Chatham, Ont, is the original home of loved (or hated) dish.

Initially, his restaurant served typical North American dishes, but then Panopoulos had what the pro-pineapple camp would call a juicy idea. He began exploring foods that were more exotic then (the 1950s): Chinese food and pizza.

Sam took the “Hawaiian” reference from the label on one of the cans that housed the pineapple he used. It seems Sam and his brothers had discovered they enjoyed ham and pineapple as a combo.

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Scientists vote thumbs up

And as quickly as the haters may want to dismiss the brothers’ preference, they’ll need to contend with the science that says it works.

The combination of salty and sweet creates a layering of flavours that triggers positive brain signals hailing incoming carbohydrates and salt. Further, cooking the combo enhances the flavours and produces the same nutty flavour compounds (2-methylbutanal and 3-methylbutanal) found in pizza cheeses. In short, a natural flavour bridge is created.

Finally, pineapple’s natural acidity acts as a palate cleanser, making each bite more enjoyable.

But…fruit on pizza?

Despite the science, however, the naysayers are not convinced. Fruit on pizza?, they ask in disgust.  Say it ain’t so, Sam! It seems they are negating the fact that tomatoes, a pizza staple, and olives, another popular ingredient, are fruits rather than vegetables due to their seed-bearing nature.

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And what about the fancy French dish, Duck a l’Orange? Or recently consumed Thanksgiving turkey with cranberry sauce?

Debate goes international

The great pineapple-on-pizza debate went global in 2017, when Icelandic president Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson joked with school children that he would ban pineapple on pizza. The pro-pineapplers were quick to voice disapproval. A massive order of Hawaiian pizzas arrived shortly thereafter at Iceland’s embassy in London.

A winner among most Canadians

Back in Canada, pineapple on pizza received a broad vote of confidence last summer, as reported by the National Post’s food writer, Laura Brehaut.

According to Postmedia’s “Great Canadian Pizza Poll,” she wrote, 68 per cent of pizza lovers responded with a “resounding ‘Yes’” to the topping.

A clash of Olympic swords

During the Paris Olympics, pineapple on pizza formed the basis of sarcastic insult arising from contention about the outcome of the Italy vs. Honk Kong fencing final, reported the CBC, at the time.

Italian fans had contended their nation’s champion had been robbed by poor judging. The Hong Kong fans retorted by posting about their love for pineapple pizza on Instagram, saying they would be consuming great quantities of it to celebrate the win. The fruity ingredient is “widely considered a culinary blunder in Italian cooking,” said the CBC.

At the end of the school day, it’s not likely the prime minister will be planning any school lunches. Otherwise, he might advocate for the fruity topping – a pro-vote he appears to share with the majority of Canadians.

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