The Winter Fruit That Makes A Transformative Pizza Topping

One of the most heated debates in the U.S. has to do with the ever-divisive question: Does pineapple belong on pizza? The fruit is one of the most-hated pizza toppings, along with anchovies and jalapeño, per People. Though 44% of Americans believe pineapple and pizza go together, a third say no to the pairing. That doesn't leave much room for those with pineapple pizza neutrality.

So why all the strong feelings toward an innocent tropical fruit? It may be that pineapple simply sounds strange to those who are used to more traditional savory toppings — or perhaps it's because famous figures have fueled the fire. The president of Iceland jokingly stated in 2017 that he wouldn't allow pineapple on pizza; whereas, Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) has publicly given the topping a glowing endorsement on Instagram (via Gozney).

But pineapple pizza lovers actually have a good reason for their devotion. Besides being a healthy fruit, pineapple provides a burst of sweetness to an otherwise cheesy, savory slice of pizza, giving the same salty-sweet flavor combination that people love in salted caramel ice cream or chocolate-covered pretzels (via Wonderopolis). If you're a fan of fruit on pizza, or just salty-sweet foods in general, you may want to branch out and try another unique topping.

March through July is prime pineapple season, per McCormick, so if you're craving fresh fruit on your pizza, you may want to turn to something else during the winter. Enter: the kiwi pizza. Before you shake your head in disgust, The Guardian explains that the effect is pretty similar to what pineapple does. Kiwis are sweet and slightly acidic, providing a nice contrast to the salty richness of a ham and cheese pizza. When placed on top of a pie, the taste of the fruit is comparable to that of an oxheart tomato, according to a former pastry chef who said, "I think if you were to eat this blindfolded you wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

While kiwi pizza hasn't really caught on yet, you can make it yourself at home by placing kiwi slices on any pie of your choice. Or you can attempt what one Swedish man did: Bring a kiwi to a pizzeria and ask for it to be a topping (via PMQ Pizza Media). But be prepared to scarf down the whole thing yourself, as there are plenty of kiwi pizza skeptics out there. In fact, when the kiwi pizza first emerged, Pizza Hut UK made a point of distancing itself from the creation, tweeting: "We can confirm this isn't us" (via Insider).

But just because kiwi pizza isn't popular yet doesn't mean it's not delicious, so don't knock it until you try it.