Ina Garten Has A Clear Stance On The Divisive Pineapple On Pizza Debate

A chewy crust, melted cheese, and a bright tomato sauce — a piping-hot margherita pizza is a winning combo. But additional ingredients are another story. With an infinite number of unique pizza toppings from scrapple to sauerkraut and even reindeer sausage, it's not surprising that some are dealbreakers for even the staunchest pizza lovers. In a playful round of "Hot or Not?," shown on "Today," Ina Garten revealed her opinion of the divisive option of pineapple on pizza and she didn't mince words. "Pineapple pizza — Eugh!" laughed The Barefoot Contessa, "Definitely not hot."

The Food Network alum and cookbook author isn't the only celebrity that feels that way. Pineapple pizza is also something Gordon Ramsay would absolutely never order. Another notable dissident is Stanley Tucci, who told "Today" that he tried it once as a kid but has since blocked it out. The beloved actor and author of "Taste: My Life Through Food," confessed that "just the thought of it is gross." Italian celebrity chef, Gino D'Acampo, is equally passionate about his opposition, declaring (with a fist), "Pineapple should never be on a pizza!" on the British show "This Morning." Fans of the sweet, juicy addition will be happy to know there's at least one celebrity chef who ardently stands for their freedom of topping — Alton Brown, who is happy to top pizza with pineapple.

With some extremely out-there pizza toppings available, like say, marshmallow peeps (yeah, that's a thing), it's easy to wonder why pineapple on pizza is so controversial. For some it's the sweetness of the fruit bumping up against the overall savoriness of a typical pizza. As one commenter on Quora put it, "I don't believe in a sweetened pizza. Yuck! Lol." Others have a problem with the added moisture, "The reason I don't like pineapple on pizza is because it's too wet and makes the pizza soggy," another commenter explained. Yet for many Italians, it comes down to tradition. In a short on YouTube, Nadia Caterina Munno, The Pasta Queen, breaks it down. "Food is culture ... It's all about what you have grown up eating ... Pineapple on pizza is simply wrong for us. It's not about what it tastes like ..." she said, while wielding a meat cleaver.

Which begs the question, where did pineapple as a pizza topping originate? Although it is largely thought to come from Hawaii (often sold as a Hawaiian pizza with cooked ham), it was actually born in Ontario, Canada in 1962 and was the invention of a Greek immigrant named Sam Panopoulos who owned a restaurant with his brothers. The Hawaiian name? That's from the brand of canned pineapples he used. Whether you agree with Garten, or agree to disagree, adding pineapple to your pie is a quick way to give pizza a twist. Just don't twist anyone's arm to try it.