Did you know Hawaiian pizza wasn’t invented in Hawaii, and it doesn’t even have anything to do with the state at all?? Hawaiian pizza was created by a Greek-born Canadian named Sam Panopoulos in 1962. Pizza wasn’t popular in Canada at the time. So after returning from a trip to Detroit, where he had sampled what was then a novelty, he experimented with different toppings at his restaurant in Chatham, Ontario. On a whim, he decided to put pineapple on it, just to see what it would taste like. Because pizza was a relatively new dish, people were game to try it. With the addition of ham or bacon, it was a hit. He settled on the name “Hawaiian” after the brand of canned pineapple he used. Hawaiian pizza is extremely divisive but in 2014, Time magazine named it first on its list of “The 13 Most Influential Pizzas of All Time”. According to a 2019 survey, 12% of Americans who eat pizza say that pineapple is one of their top 3 favorite toppings. Learn more here.