Greek Immigrant Created the "Hawaiian" Pizza in Canada

The "Hawaiian" pizza, one of the most controversial pizza flavors worldwide, was created by a Greek immigrant in Canada, Sotirios (Sam) Panopoulos.

In the early 1960s, Panopoulos, owner of the Satellite restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, decided to combine canned pineapple with ham on a pizza with tomato and cheese. As he stated, the name "Hawaiian" came from the brand of canned pineapple he used.

The pizza quickly became popular in North America and elsewhere, causing strong reactions. Many Italians consider pineapple on pizza "heresy." In 2017, the President of Iceland joked that he would ban it, while the then Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, defended the creation.

Sotirios Panopoulos never patented the "Hawaiian" pizza, considering it just an experiment. Every August 20, the date of his birth, International Hawaiian Pizza Day is celebrated.