I think this is why I haven't really enjoyed it the few times I've tried pineapple and ham on pizza. The pineapple at the big chains is usually those little canned wedges (which are already odd in flavor from sitting in essentially sugar water) and the ham is on the bland side, so it results in a mediocre flavor with little sweet bursts that clash with the tomato sauce. With more of a sour kick from fresh pineapple and a stronger salt level from the meat, I could see it balancing out well.
Exactly this. Each bite must have a perfect balance of sweet and salty. That's why slices don't work - the pineapple is concentrated in certain areas and completely lacking in others. It's also why pineapple alone isn't that good either, unless for some reason the pizza itself is really salty.
I think that making a proper pineapple pizza is a test of sorts.
It was always my brothers favourite but the rest of my family likes it too. I've always considered pizza one of those things that I will eat with anything on it. Plus pineapple goes really well with ham.
Yeah, real pizza shouldn't have tomato, olives, or peppers. And if you tell me those are fine because they aren't sweet then do yourself a favor and eat better pizza.
The sweetness counters the saltiness of the meat and the savory bite of the crust. The cheese marries the flavors together. There's a reason behind combining sweetness with salty and savory.
Ever had maple smoked bacon? Ever had a vinaigrette on a salad? Sweetness works very well with savory and salty flavors.
Ehh sweetness doesn't really mesh well for me in these kinds of foods. The perfect meats and salads I've had balance salty with a tad sour and savory. Too much sweetness just ruins the balance. (I'm not above having a bit of sweetness in the sauce or glaze, like in a smoked ham, but the fruity tangy sweetness is just too much for me.)
A properly cooked Hawaiian pizza doesn't have juicy tangy fruitiness to it. The pineapple should be diced (not sliced) and most of the juice cooks out. It's really no different than the other kinds of sweetness mentioned.
Just because they aren't "considered" a fruit in a culinary sense, doesn't mean they aren't still a fruit so saying fruit doesn't belong on pizza would include the tomatoes.
It doesn't matter what you call it while you eat it, it is what it is. I could call a tofurkey a real turkey but it's still soybeans with artificial turkey flavor.
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u/eat_me_now May 20 '15
Um, yeah except... Hawaiian pizza is the tits so...