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Does Pineapple Belong on Pizza? By Dhruv Duruvasan and Samuel Elias
Dhruv:
Does pineapple belong on pizza? This timeless question has floated around the minds of many popular debaters for a long time. It’s time we settle this kerfuffle for good. I was told to write this from a yes perspective, but the truth is, whether you pick yes or no, you will always be right. No matter which side you’re on, the outcome will always be an inevitable loss. When Raffaele Esposito created the "Margherita pizza" for Queen Margherita, he topped it with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to represent his interpretation of the Italian flag, to make what is widely considered the first pizza. Since the start of the pizza to this day, this delicacy was made as a way to express yourself. Simply restricting what goes or doesn’t on pizza is smothering the reason that it was created.
Pineapple is a valid topping on pizza because food is ultimately subjective rather than objective. Pizza is a blank canvas, and it is up to each consumer to choose what flavor combinations or toppings fit their fancy at that moment. Many people enjoy the sweet and savory pairing of pineapple and pizza. Others may reject pineapple as a topping for pizza. But this is the really cool part: no one will ever have the power to force a person to eat it. Calling pineapple "not a valid pizza topping," is no different than telling a person their individuality or creativity doesn't have the right to exist in their life. Taking the choice away from making decisions in one's own life to fit one's own identity, or needs for the moment, is what we like or find attractive about pizza and food in general. It is about an individual's freedom of choice. So use corn, ranch, and pineapple on a pizza... or reject them altogether; you get to choose, that is what pizza is about. But to answer the question, for a topping to "belong" is if the person eating the pizza enjoys it. The concept of "belong" in this case is subjective, and an ingredient is suitable if it pleases the individual's taste. So the only correct answer is the one you pick.
Samuel:
Pineapple does not go on pizza for many reasons, the flavors do not combine and are contrasted in unappealing ways that people should not have to endure. In this article, the reasons why pineapple truly does not go on pizza will be discussed thoroughly.
For one, pineapple scalds your tongue, and is an unpleasant feeling that does not go with pizza, or as this article from google scholar would put it, “uncomfortable mucosal irritation due to acidic pH and bromelain”. This does not allow you to taste or enjoy your pineapple pizza, and will bother you for some time after you are done eating, leaving you with regrets about eating your pineapple pizza.
Another reason is that health concerns such as tooth decay, stomach pains, and increased blood sugar in diabetic or pre-diabetic people can appear if too much pineapple is consumed in a short time frame. These problems can be due to sugar and acids, enzymes, and sugar, respectively.
Canned pineapple, which most people use in their pizza, can be especially harmful if consumed in high amounts because of the increased sugar, chemicals, and calories, while reducing nutrients and vitamin C content. As Britannica said, “Carbohydrates usually undergo conversion to acid or to alcohol." While this does not usually affect younger people, it can affect adults and people with diabetes and have especially negative effects on them because they can not handle as much sugar and calories.
Finally, pineapple on pizza compromises Italian roots too much. Sure, there are worse pizzas, but Hawaiian pizza is a “deviation from traditional Italian flavors”, according to an article from Britannica. This shows that Hawaiian pizza has moved away from original Italian pizzas and in doing so, creating an unpleasant flavor.
In conclusion, pineapple does not belong on pizza for many reasons. This is because it can have a bad taste, create health problems, and compromise Italian roots and original flavors.
Works cited
Grannan, & Cydney. (2025, June 13). Why is pizza so popular in the U.S.? Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-pizza-so-popular-in-the-us
Singh, Paul, R., Desrosier, & Wilfred, N. (2025, October 11). Food preservation | Definition, Importance, & Methods. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/food-preservation
Knox, Samantha, et al. “The Many Flavors of Pineapple Reactions.” Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, vol. 123, no. 5, Nov. 2019, pp. 519–521, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2019.08.001.
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