Pizza Hawaii was created by a Greek immigrant to Canada who—inspired by the sweet and sour flavors that characterized America’s version of Chinese food—decided to put canned pineapple and sliced ham on the floor Pizza cheese and tomato sauce. This led to what some call a classic dish and others a culinary crime.
The reason why many people don’t like this combination has to do with their genes linked to the taste buds and even the way the pineapple is cooked. Next, we’ll tell you what scientists say about it.
The taste of pineapple changes when cooked at different temperatures.
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center food scientist Zhimin Xu and his colleagues studied what happens to pineapples when they are cooked at different temperatures.
“When pineapple is heated, a lot of chemical reactions take place because it contains a lot of sugar and organic acids,” Zhimin says.
He and his colleagues found that exposing pineapples to temperatures between 200°C and 225°C causes their volatile compounds (which contribute to the smell and taste of food) to change drastically.
Pizza, which is usually kept frozen, is heated to high temperatures before serving. This increases their levels of the compound called furfural, which gives almonds and bread flavor. The taste of almonds is the one that regularly causes controversy among people.
Hawaiian pizza was invented by Sam Panopoulos. Photo: Delirious kitchen
Do Genetics Affect the Taste of Pineapple Pizza?
The same study points out that some people also tend to be more sensitive to certain tastes, which is why they concluded that genetic factors play an important role in whether people like bitter tastes.
More specifically, they found that those who had variants of the gene called TAS2R38 may be more sensitive to bitter substances. It’s the same with the taste for sweet aromas.