The raging debate about whether pineapple deserves a place on the humble pizza pie has hit a particularly sad stumbling block today. Sam Panopoulos, the Greek man who invented Hawaiian pizza as a young man in Canada in the 1950s, has passed away aged 83.
Whether you’re firmly on the side of adding the delectable canned fruit to your ham and cheese slice, or a dusty miser who hates fun, spare a thought for a bloke who was just trying to have a bit of a laugh at his newly-opened pizza place.
rude, Macauley
Earlier this year, Panopoulos told the BBC:
“We just put it on, just for the fun of it, see how it was going to taste. We were young in the business and we were doing a lot of experiments.”
That fun little experiment may have become the most divisive menu item of our times, but most people have laid down arms in remembrance of the man who started it all.
We’ve lost a hero #bestpizza #somf https://t.co/VDrcuf1wKq
— Jackson England (@Jackman289) June 10, 2017
I didn’t know until right now I was a fan of Sam Panopoulos … https://t.co/Vcqavx3yRM
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) June 9, 2017
A true Canadian icon ??????????????????????????????https://t.co/eldLyYlkm6
— Jennifer (@ScottishBF) June 9, 2017
May flights of angels guide him to his sweet and savory reward. https://t.co/N9oCKUlAH0
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) June 9, 2017
My condolences to the family. However, his pizza still lives on, and for that I shall mourn as well https://t.co/x2Zrnyrkh2
— Trace-Octavius-Mead™ (@Trace_Vaughn) June 9, 2017
RIP, Mr Panopoulos. Your greatest gift has become the world’s fiercest culinary shit-fight, and for that we thank you.
Source: ABC.
Image: Lauri Patterson / Getty.
