The ultimate debate: pineapple on pizza? I say yes. 

First, I want to make clear how ridiculous I find this controversy. Sweet and savory foods have been paired with phenomenal results for generations without complaint, but throw a little tropical fruit on an American classic and everyone goes bananas. (Now there’s an idea for a pizza topping…). No one throws hissy fits over salty peanut butter and sweet jelly on bread, nor sweet and sour chicken nor chocolate covered pretzels. 

Even if one cannot appreciate the lovely sweet and salty taste, they should at least be able to appreciate the deep cultural development behind the combination. 

Pizza, a historically Italian dish, came to the Americas in the 16th century as tomato-topped flatbread. Pineapple was brought to the United States by Spanish explorers from South America. And in 1962, a Greek-Canadian created the first “Hawaiian” pizza, with pineapple and ham, according to TIME Magazine.

Obviously, pineapple pizza should be the new apple pie, as it, like American culture, is a melting pot of traditions from all over the world.

Pineapple on pizza has always been a polarizing debate. Some love it, some hate it. I happen to dislike this combo very much.

While I am a fan of most sweet and salty combinations, fruit paired with meat on a pizza is just plain wrong. The pineapple flavor is overly powerful. It lingers on everything it touches, leaving an unpleasant, fruity sweetness.

Taste isn’t the only issue I have with pineapple on pizza. It seems that every time my friends and I order a pizza, there’s always that one person who wants a Hawaiian. It stirs arguments and creates debates when we should just be enjoying a warm non-pineapple-laced pizza. Sometimes we go for a half and half compromise, but the smell and flavor of the pineapple doesn’t stay on its side.

Pizza is meant to be enjoyed by all with whatever toppings you please. As with most things in life, there are no right answers but there are definitely wrong answers (it’s pineapple).

Pineapple on pizza is a divisive and unholy food that should be scraped off the Earth.