Football Fan Sparks ‘Pineapple On Pizza?’ Debate With Funny Banner

A football fan has sparked controversy at the recent Italy vs Spain Euro 2020 semi-final played at Wembley Stadium. His banner pleaded with people to ‘stop putting pineapple on pizza’. The sign has caused much debate online about the use of fruity topping on the Italian national dish.

The pineapple debate is not a new one. It has been going on for years with people either loving it or hating it. One thing that cannot be denied, however, is the fact that pineapples are delicious.

Pizza is a food that has been enjoyed by people for centuries. It’s one of the most popular dishes in the world, with over 360 million pizzas sold each year in America alone. Many cultures have their own variations of pizza and there are four different types; Italian, American, Neapolitan and Sicilian. The original type is known as Pizza Margherita which was created to honour Queen Elena di Savoia-Aosta on her visit to Rome back in 1889. Originally it contained tomatoes (in season), mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves and oregano but nowadays you can find all sorts of toppings such as onions, peppers or even pineapple too!

THE HISTORY OF PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA

The history of pineapple on pizza goes way back to the 1950s when it was first offered as a topping in Hawaii. It’s believed that this started because of their close proximity to pineapples which were grown on plantations there.

It is thought by some that people have been putting pineapple on pizza for much longer, not just since the Hawaiian era of 1955-1970. They point out an interesting article from 1906 where The New York Times published a recipe entitled “Pizza with Pineapple”.

The controversy surrounding whether or not pineapple should be eaten as part of pizzas will no doubt continue but what we can all agree on is that there’s nothing wrong with giving it a try and making up your own mind.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pineapples are native to the tropical region of Brazil, where they were named “ananas” by Tupi Indians.

The sound “nana” could be translated as meaning pleasant or agreeable in Tupi, and also has ties in Guarani—another language spoken by natives of Brazil–as a term for fruit.

In English we say “pineapple” because the triangular shape of the pineapple reminded early explorers from Europe of pine cones, which grow on evergreen trees; hence, pineapple. In nearly every other language the pineapple is called ‘Ananas’ – and that includes Italian.