The internationally renowned pizza chef Gino Sorbillo is now serving pizza with the tropical fruit in his restaurant - and most people have the expected reaction.
There is no doubt that Italian cuisine is known worldwide for its sophistication, variety and focus on high-quality ingredients. The country's culinary tradition can be found both in the vibrant metropolis of Rome and in the idyllic vineyards of Tuscany, and spoils locals and tourists alike.
Along with the colourful diversity, there are also culinary "style breaks" in Italy that are frowned upon and cause more than a shake of the head. For example, you should not break spaghetti in half or stretch a carbonara with cream. But probably no other creation divides gastronomic minds like the "Pizza Hawaii". But now, according to media reports, it is set to take its permanent place in the world-famous "Sobrillo" pizzeria in Naples.
Responsible for this is none other than the restaurant's owner and pizza chef, Gino Sorbillo. The renowned restaurateur announced the gourmet version of this controversial pizza variant in a video on the social media platform TikTok and is completely convinced by it. As he emphasises, he uses high-quality ingredients such as roasted pineapple, mozzarella and pork leg meat for the "Pizza con Ananas".
Despite his gourmet version, the pizza chef caused a veritable storm of indignation and some users described the creation as an insult and compared it to "pepper spray in the face of Italians", while others even called for his restaurant to be closed down. Even the Italian national broadcaster Rai1 reported on Gino Sorbillo's taboo-breaking.
The reason for the strong reaction is probably due to the location of the pizzeria: the restaurant was founded in Naples in 1935 and is run by one of the oldest and most renowned families. The fact that one of the most frowned upon dishes is now to be on the menu in Naples of all places is a source of irritation for many locals. The fact that the long-standing restaurateur championed the classic pizza tradition just a few years ago and was included in the Unesco list of intangible cultural heritage due to his pizza knowledge is also a fact.
The fact that he has now decided to offer Neapolitan "pizza con pineapple" is a contradiction in terms for hardened gourmets. On the other hand, this may be a clever marketing method, because despite the negative reactions, many pizza fans in Naples are already queuing up to taste this break in style.
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