Hawaiian Pizza was Invented in Canada

Few meals are as contentious as Hawaiian pizza. Pineapples on pizza are either loved or hated by people. But regardless of how you feel, it's important to understand that Hawaii's residents are in no way to blame. In the 1960s, Chatham, Ontario, invented Hawaiian pizza.

At the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, Sam Panopoulos, a Canadian of Greek descent, invented the first Hawaiian pizza in 1962. Panopoulos experimented with adding toppings like pineapple, ham, bacon, and other ingredients after being inspired in part by his expertise cooking Chinese meals, which frequently combine sweet and salty flavors. These additions weren't at first particularly well received.

Greek pizza had become a novelty for Sam Panapolous, the owner of a pizza restaurant. Most Canadians at the time had never experienced it before. He had "usual" toppings like pepperoni and bacon but, on a whim, decided to try pineapple. There was no justification for it. He merely had the need to give it a try and see what occurred. He was the only restaurant where you could find it for a while.