Will pineapple appear on pizzas offered by the Liberals’ national school lunch program? Yes, if the PM had his way
Pineapple on pizza? That’s the question Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put to his X followers in a Dec. 3 post.
The occasion to raise the question was a chat with some kids at an unidentified school, while Trudeau was promoting the Liberal government’s new school lunch program.
“Still pretty divisive,” Trudeau wrote in answer to his own question. “But here’s something we can all agree on: kids deserve healthy meals in school. The National School Food Program is making that happen.”
But why?
Canadian inventor of Hawaiian Pizza was Greek immigrant
Going back in pizza history, you would find that “Hawaiian pizza” has nothing to do with the popular vacation island. Instead, it was created by a Greek immigrant named Sam Panopoulos who, in fact, made Canada his home in 1954.
His restaurant called Satellite, in Chatham, Ont, is the original home of loved (or hated) dish.
Initially, his restaurant served typical North American dishes, but then Panopoulos had what the pro-pineapple camp would call a juicy idea. He began exploring foods that were more exotic then (the 1950s): Chinese food and pizza.
Sam took the “Hawaiian” reference from the label on one of the cans that housed the pineapple he used. It seems Sam and his brothers had discovered they enjoyed ham and pineapple as a combo.
Scientists vote thumbs up
And as quickly as the haters may want to dismiss the brothers’ preference, they’ll need to contend with the science that says it works.
The combination of salty and sweet creates a layering of flavours that triggers positive brain signals hailing incoming carbohydrates and salt. Further, cooking the combo enhances the flavours and produces the same nutty flavour compounds (2-methylbutanal and 3-methylbutanal) found in pizza cheeses. In short, a natural flavour bridge is created.
Finally, pineapple’s natural acidity acts as a palate cleanser, making each bite more enjoyable.
But…fruit on pizza?
And what about the fancy French dish, Duck a l’Orange? Or recently consumed Thanksgiving turkey with cranberry sauce?
Debate goes international
The great pineapple-on-pizza debate went global in 2017, when Icelandic president Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson joked with school children that he would ban pineapple on pizza. The pro-pineapplers were quick to voice disapproval. A massive order of Hawaiian pizzas arrived shortly thereafter at Iceland’s embassy in London.
A winner among most Canadians
Back in Canada, pineapple on pizza received a broad vote of confidence last summer, as reported by the National Post’s food writer, Laura Brehaut.
A clash of Olympic swords
Italian fans had contended their nation’s champion had been robbed by poor judging. The Hong Kong fans retorted by posting about their love for pineapple pizza on Instagram, saying they would be consuming great quantities of it to celebrate the win. The fruity ingredient is “widely considered a culinary blunder in Italian cooking,” said the CBC.
At the end of the school day, it’s not likely the prime minister will be planning any school lunches. Otherwise, he might advocate for the fruity topping – a pro-vote he appears to share with the majority of Canadians.
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