In 2024, Italy may see a surge in pineapple pizza, thanks to pizzaiolo (pizza maestro) Gino Sorbillo, who has introduced the dreaded “bananas” to his menu on Via dei Tribunali, the world capital of pizza.
Pizza with pineapple is anathema to most Italians, and Sorbillo’s new pizza caused an uproar with insults on social media and national TV discussions.
According to CNN, Sorbillo’s “Margherita con Ananas” is a unique Hawaiian pizza bianca, featuring three types of cheese replacing its tomato layer, and caramelized pineapple. It costs 7 euros and was created to “challenge food prejudice”.
“Sadly people follow the crowd and condition themselves according to other people’s views, or what they hear,” he said.
“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.”
Sorbillo, with 21 outlets worldwide, is headquartered in Naples’ historic centre, highlighting its 3,000-year history.
The pineapple pizza is made by prebaking pineapple in an oven, then adding smoked provola, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil.
After baking, micro shavings of smoked cacioricotta cheese from Sardinian goats and buffalos from the Cilento area are scattered around the crust.
However, those who have tried it have been favorable, according to Sorbillo, including food journalist Barbara Politi who said: “At the start you might not love it but then it becomes a fixation.”
“Before I launched it on social media, I put it on the menu without saying anything for a couple of weeks, and lots of people ordered it, even Neapolitans,” he said.
He added: “I think people in general are not curious. They are mistrustful of anything different.”
Sorbillo says he replaced the tomato layer with a layer of three types of cheeses because with “two fruits, which both have acidity it wouldn’t be a good product”.
“Pairings are important in food. If you pair ingredients well, the result is good. People who are gastronomically curious are eating it, which means we did well.”
Sorbillo used the criticism to create another controversial pizza using homemade ketchup from red and yellow Italian datterino tomatoes, on a white base with smoked provola.
“All you need to change is one ingredient or one preparatory step, and you create a whole new thing,” he said. “I’m sure that soon pineapple pizza will appear on the menus of other pizzerias in Naples — and not only in Naples.”
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