We might be a nation divided over the pros and cons of a Hawaiian pizza, but other toppings are also beyond the pale When I began thinking about this column, I hoped to take a deep, scholarly dive into the realm of the Hawaiian pizza, the abomination/delicacy (delete as applicable) that, according to recent research by YouGov, now divides the nation more than any other foodstuff. But in the end, this proved to be impossible. No book I own has any advice at all on the matter of whether pineapple can ever make an acceptable topping for pizza; nor have I been able to locate a definitive history of this controversial dish, said to have been invented by a Greek Canadian called Sam Panopoulos at his restaurant in Ontario some time in 1962. (He was “inspired”, I gather, by certain sweet and savoury Chinese dishes rather than by a malevolent belief that some people simply do not deserve the good things in life.) Continue reading...