One of the easiest ways to upset Italian Americans has now made its way to the motherland and is upsetting regular Italians: Yes, I’m talking about pineapple on pizza, the scourge of house parties and Tinder bios everywhere.


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Gino Sorbillo, a pizza maestro from Naples, has added pineapple to the menu of his restaurant on the Via dei Tribunali, which according to CNN, is the best-known street for pizza in Naples, itself the world capital of pizza. A controversial move!


The pizza is called “margherita con ananas,” but it isn’t a simple Hawaiian; it’s pizza bianca, lacking a tomato layer and instead festooned with three types of cheese. The pineapple is pre-baked in the oven and then cooled; smoked provola, olive oil and fresh basil are also added before the pizza is placed in the oven. As it’s removed, he sprinkles “micro shavings” consisting of two kinds of smoked cacioricotta cheese around the crust.



Sorbillo told CNN that he came up with his creation in an attempt to “combat food prejudice.” “Sadly people follow the crowd and condition themselves according to other people’s views, or what they hear,” he explained.


“I’ve noticed in the last few years that lots of people were condemning ingredients or ways of preparing food purely because in the past most people didn’t know them, so I wanted to put these disputed ingredients — that are treated like they’re poison — onto a Neapolitan pizza, making them tasty,” he continued.


Despite Sorbillo’s reputation — he has 21 restaurants around the world — the pizza has, unsurprisingly, sparked controversy in Italy. Sorbillo has been sent insults on social media, and the issue has even been discussed on Italian national TV. Despite that, Sorbillo told CNN that those who have been open-minded enough to try the pizza have liked it, including many Neapolitans.



Sorbillo argues that the key is the lack of a tomato base, and that’s why Hawaiians are so controversial. As he explained to CNN, “That’s another fruit — with two fruits, which both have acidity it wouldn’t be a good product.”


The chef is now seemingly addicted to courting controversy. He recently made a ketchup pizza in order to upset his critics even further. He did, however, at least use a homemade sauce instead of Heinz. After all, he might be turning into a troll, but he’s still a pizzaiolo at heart.