For months countries have been devastated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, unemployment has become rampant, schools have shut down, and the world is relearning how to function on a daily basis. It is in times like these that people must remember the important things in life; remember the questions that truly matter to us like, “Does pineapple go on pizza?”

Sweet and savory are two opposing flavors that have garnered varied responses when combined in a dish. While, I would like to end this argument swiftly by saying that I am allergic to pineapple and therefore if I cannot have it, then no one can, I feel obliged to continue and dig deeper into my true opinion rather than selfish thoughts.

With that being said, I can say that I do not care about whether someone else puts pineapple on pizza. Just as long as it doesn’t touch my slice.

Growing up in the Philippines, our maids would cut up our meat for us and mix it with rice and a sweet fruit like banana or mango, which to us, was completely normal. Filipino cuisine has very diverse flavors, and so based on the culture I grew up with, pineapple on pizza isn’t weird or gross. It probably actually tastes amazing.

Now, for someone who grew up in a different culture with a different palate, pineapple on pizza could be disgusting, but I don’t let that affect me.

I guess the point is, people make a big deal about someone loving pineapple on pizza, and really make fun of them for it, but I feel that people should know that unconsciously, they may be harming another person’s cultural identity.

Children of other cultures have experienced tiny moments in their lives that have made fine hairline cracks in their identity like bringing lunch to school and being told that it smells bad or being made fun of for the way that they speak. So, even if someone thinks that hating on someone for pineapple on pizza is a joking matter, you may not realize that you are making fun of the way a person grew up.

On the other hand, hating pineapple on pizza is not a bad thing, as long as you don’t condemn others for it. This is not on the basis that you may be hurting someone else’s feelings; it is on the basis that it is just plain annoying.

Relax, there is no right or wrong way to make a pizza. There is no right or wrong way to taste.

I am not trying to make a big deal out of nothing, I am trying to say that I really couldn’t care less about what someone wants to do to their food and I do not think that you should either.