International Pineapple Day: The small town that gave us pineapple on pizza

Traceable modern conflict

The Hawaiian Pizza conflict once reached the political realm when in 2017, the President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson expressed his dislike for Hawaiian Pizza. He said that if he had the power to pass the law, the ban on pineapple on pizza would pass faster than the melting glaciers in the country.

CHECK OUT: How to grill pineapple

To this act of disdain, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau took to Twitter and said, “I have a pineapple. I have a pizza. And I stand behind this delicious creation.” Whether Trudeau knows it or not, this disputed food item originated in his country contrary to the belief that it has tropical origins in Hawaii.

Origins of Hawaiian Pizza in Chatham

This brings us Southwest in Ontario in the small town of Chatham.

Specifically, in Statellite Restaurant which belonged to chef Sam Panopoulos. Panopoulos has been credited as the Father of Hawaiian Pizza.

Statellite Restaurant was a big cuisine joint in the 1960s that specialised in American dishes like cheeseburgers but later expanded its offerings to Chinese-American cuisine, and eventually pizza.

CHECK OUT: A thing or two about touring Uganda by car

Pizza became a popular food item in North America due to, allegedly, the returning servicemen who had developed a taste of the dish in Italy during the Second World War. It became a restaurant staple offering in Canada in the late 1950s, and by the 1960s speciality pizzerias had established their trade.

International Pineapple Day: The small town which gave us pineapple on pizza /Pexels Pulse

A culinary vision

On that fateful day in 1962, without the world being privy to what rift would hit it, Panopoulos added canned pineapple to pizzas in his restaurant. Why he added canned pizza remains one of life's big mysteries.

Regardless of or in response to his inspiration, the taste quickly caught on with his customers.

CHECK OUT: How different cultures use banana leaves for health benefits

Dubious inspiration

But like many things that spring undetected from weaves of events, some people believe Panopoulos was simply riding the wave of Tiki culture that had exploded around the world in the late 1950s and early 1960s following 1959 Hawaiian statehood.

The tropical lifestyle was popularised, and many people fell in love with the romanticised exotic culture. There were Tiki-themed restaurants, with Tiki drinks such as the popular Zombie and Mai Tai.

CHECK OUT: For cheese lovers only

Around the same time, both canned pineapple and pineapple juice production and exports had exploded and expanded from both Hawaii and the Philippines. Not only had the tropical culture exploded onto the scene, but tropical foods like pineapple were also now widely available.

International Pineapple Day: The small town which gave us pineapple on pizza /Pexels Pulse

Final glance

The Hawaiian Pizza, with its unlikely Canadian origins, has expanded across the world creating two camps (in a survey, 58 per cent said yes and 42 per cent said it doesn't belong) that fight over it.

And just like the Pizza, Chatham was also central in the conflict between the French and British. The town sits at the head of the River Thames which is central to its livelihood.

CHECK OUT: Best food experiences from around the world

Does pineapple belong on Pizza? Which camp do you belong to?