Feature photo by: Kenny Nguyen- Senior Dahn Gyavira takes a bite out of a pineapple pizza at Anthony’s Pizza. Dahn personally favors pineapple pizza.
By: Kenny Nguyen and Karissa March
Pineapple pizza typically consists of toppings: cheese, ham or bacon, and obviously, pineapple. The dish was created in Chatham, Ontario, Canada by Sam Panopoulos, an immigrant from Greece. Panopoulos was inspired to expand pizza toppings after his journey to Canada from Greece.
Hawaiian pizza has been a very controversial dish ever since it was first introduced in 1962, and the majority of people seem to stand by a definite “yes” or “no” it doesn’t belong on pizza, leading it to evoke an emotional response from some.
The debate about whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza has been widespread for years, but has recently resurfaced since the rise of social media. This has led to many people creating memes or tweeting their own opinion on the internet and receiving extreme reactions.
Freshman Aaron Chapa thinks: “Pineapple pizza is wack. It tastes terrible; who puts pineapple on pizza? It’s like pouring milk on bread.”
According to a Twitter poll by the Raider Review, 52 of the students of Rangeview like pineapple pizza and 52 does not, a perfect 50/50.
Junior Indi Sandika says that she does like it. “At first I didn’t like it, to be honest. But then I started to like it. It sorta just happened.”
Icelandic President, Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, jokingly stated that he would outlaw pineapple as a topping on pizza if he could.
After receiving backlash, Jóhannesson replied saying, “I like pineapples, just not on pizza. I do not have the power to make laws which forbid people to put pineapples on their pizza… For pizzas, I recommend seafood.”
Jóhannesson isn’t the only political leader to address this controversial issue; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on the matter, taking to Twitter. He tweeted, “I have a pineapple. I have a pizza. And I stand behind this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation.”
Renowned chef Gordon Ramsay weighed in on the subject on the British talk show, “The Nightly Show.”
During the show, while Ramsay was ordering pizza, an audience member suggested pineapples as a topping on pizza, to which Ramsay replied, “You don’t put ——- pineapple on pizza!”
But the argument doesn’t stop there. Average, everyday people are debating pineapple pizza everywhere. Senior Noah Sung says, “[Pineapple pizza] is amazing. And people who say that it isn’t, pineapple does belong on pizza, okay? I love it.”
The more attention the debate garners through social media and celebrity influence, the more the world becomes split. With the RHS community being 50/50 on the issue, the simple argument over a food combination, seems as though it will never settle.
