Does pineapple belong on pizza? Some people will say no without hesitation, but the controversial pizza topping has a loyal group of defenders.
So, too, does the humble pickle, which has found itself atop pizza toppings more and more regularly in recent years, often paired with a smooth and subtle cheese that lets the vinegary taste be the star of the show.
Both pickles and pineapple are among the most controversial toppings that pizza makers have to offer, but one frozen pizza company is taking it one step further.
For a brief moment in food history, DiGiorno offered a pizza that featured not one, but both divisive toppings on the same pizza.
The DiGiorno Pineapple Pickle Pizza promised to be the most divisive and controversial pizza on the market, featuring hand-tossed crust and garlic sauce, but with toppings split down the middle — pineapple on one half, pickles on the other.
But, rather than releasing it in stores in the frozen food sections where you’re used to seeing DiGiorno-brand pizzas, the company opted to offer a limited amount online for free.
If your first thought was, “Who on earth would want to eat that?” The answer is: a lot of people. The pizza curiosity was apparently too much for many consumers to ignore and the pizza promptly sold out the same day it was launched.
Kimberly Holowiak, Senior Brand Manager for the frozen pizza professionals, said DiGiorno has a history of pushing the boundaries of traditional culinary tastes in an effort to spark conversation.
“We know consumers love to debate pizza toppings, especially pineapple and pickles, and we’re excited to see how pizza lovers will react to this latest creation,” Holowiak said in a news release. “We hope our Pineapple Pickle Pizza brings people together through friendly debate, no matter which side they choose.”
The free pizzas were offered on a first-come, first-served basis. While it’s unclear how many pizzas were produced or just how quickly they sold out, there was clearly no shortage of interest in the edible oddity.
If you missed out on the unconventional pizza experiment, you may have missed the boat entirely. DiGiorno has not said if more pizzas will be produced or if the Pineapple Pickle Pizza will ever find itself in a brick-and-mortar store.
But if you still want to show your support for the culinary odd couple, you can purchase pineapple and pickle-themed merchandise, including shirts, bucket hats and pickleball paddles.