Hawaiian Pizza

Historical Background

Pizza became well-known in North America toward the end of the Second World War. From 1945 onwards, pizza places began to spring up in urban centres as pizza quickly became more popular. Most places were owned by independent operators, often immigrants. Today, pizza offerings typically feature traditional toppings such as pepperoni, mushrooms and olives.

Despite its Italian origin, other ethnic groups influenced pizza recipes. (See also Italian Canadians.) By the late 1950s, several recipes of regional “pizza” variants were published in newspapers. For instance, Canadian pizza was topped with bacon strips and cheddar cheese.

In the 1950s, the tiki craze grasped North America. Mainstream culture appropriated aspects of Pacific Islander cultures, notably from Hawaii, to create imagined themes of exotic escapism. At around the same time, pineapple also became increasingly popular. Any dish that used pineapple was named Hawaiian. This was in part due to American companies heavily advertising canned pineapple products.

Invention of Hawaiian Pizza

People widely attribute Hawaiian pizza’s invention to a Greek-born Canadian restaurant owner, Sotirios “Sam” Panopoulos. (See also Greek Canadians.)

In 1954, at the age of 20, Sam Panopoulos stopped in Naples, Italy, on his way to Canada. There, he tasted traditional-style pizza. Later that year, he arrived in Halifax. He moved to Sudbury and worked in the mines in Elliot Lake, ON.

By the 1960s, he lived in Chatham, around 70 kilometres east of the city of Windsor. In 1962, he and his brothers Elias and Nikitas opened the Satellite Restaurant. Similarly to other Greek-owned diners, their restaurant offered all-day breakfast and traditional American fare like burgers and pizza. Panopoulos eventually started experimenting with food trends like Americanized Chinese dishes. (See Chinese Food in Canada.) The cuisine’s sweet and tangy flavours partly inspired Panopoulos to try putting ham and pineapple on pizza to attract customers.

Panopoulos said customers did not at first accept the pineapple-and-ham combination. People told him he was “crazy to do this.” But when customers caught on, his style of pizza soon became a staple on his menu. He called his creation “Hawaiian pizza” after the brand of canned pineapples he used. He didn't register for a trademark or patent his creation. Later in a CBC Radio interview, he said “it was just another piece of bread cooking in the oven” for him.

In 1976, the Panopoulos family sold Satellite, where Hawaiian pizza was kept on the menu. Sam later moved to London, Ontario. There, he operated the Family Circle Restaurant until it was sold to another owner.

Rise in Popularity

The consumption of pineapple is popular due to its sweet and acidic flavour. Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It is also rich in antioxidants.

Since the 1960s, Hawaiian pizza’s popularity grew across Canada and internationally. It paved the way for more novel flavour combinations, such as Buffalo chicken pizza and Regina-style pizza.

In 1999, Hawaiian pizza was the most popular pizza in Australia. According to PMQ Pizza Magazine, it accounted for 15 per cent of pizza sales that year. In contrast, the US seems far less enthusiastic about pineapple on pizza. In 2016, a survey by Harris Poll found pineapple as one of the top three least-liked pizza toppings. However, opinions seem to be changing. In 2020, a report from Grubhub showed that Hawaiian pizza was increasingly popular. Compared to 2019, its popularity had risen by 689 per cent. The report notably crowned Hawaiian pizza as “America’s Favorite Pizza.”

Since 2020, International Hawaiian Pizza Day has been celebrated every year on 20 August. The date coincides with Sam Panopoulos’s birthday to mark his enduring legacy.

Variations

There are several variations of Hawaiian pizza that cater to different tastes. Some incorporate barbecue sauce instead of the traditional tomato sauce. Others are garnished with mixed peppers or jalapeños, giving a spicy kick to the sweetness of the pineapple. Substitute or additional toppings include mushrooms, red onions and even shrimp.

Controversy

There is no shortage of criticism and concern about using pineapple as a pizza topping. In 2017, it became a heated topic after then-president of Iceland Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson stated that he was “fundamentally opposed” to pineapple on pizza. He stated that he would ban the fruit as a pizza topping if given the power to do so. His remarks drew reactions internationally. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in on the debate, saying that he stands by the “delicious Southwestern Ontario creation.” As a result, months before his sudden death in 2017, Sam Panopoulos gave a number of media interviews. He gained more recognition as the inventor of Hawaiian pizza. However, there are other competing claims regarding the pizza’s origins.

While some purists do not like the tropical fruit added to the savoury dish, others also complain about the sourness. In internet culture, the use of pineapple on pizza is a divisive issue. It has resulted in the spread of social media posts, images and memes.

Rumours also abound on the true origins of Hawaiian pizza. For example, some suggest that Toast Hawaii – melted cheese, ham and pineapple on an open-faced sandwich – is a precursor to Hawaiian pizza. It was popularised in Germany in the 1950s by TV cooking show host Clemens Wilmenrod.

The small pizza chain Pizza Bob's (formerly known as Pizza Loy’s) from Ann Arbor, Michigan, proclaims itself as the creator of Hawaiian pizza. The Michigan Daily described the pizza as a “rite de passage” for local students. However, the restaurant first advertised Hawaiian pizza only in 1971.