International Hawaiian Pizza Day (August 20th)

While the idea of having pineapple on pizza can be a hotly debated topic, the love for this Hawaiian style of pizza is still strong! International Hawaiian Pizza Day is here to invite people to join in on the deliciousness that results when ham, pineapple and perhaps some other toppings are combined on a cheesy pizza. 

History of International Hawaiian Pizza Day

Hawaiian Pizza has a History that is actually more international than one might think! The credit for this version of pizza toppings goes to a chef named Sam Panopoulos, who was a Greek-born Canadian. Because Hawaii had just become a US state a couple of years earlier, nods to the culture had become all the rage in the early 1960s.

With a background that included mixing sweet and savory flavors in Chinese cooking, Panopoulos tossed some pineapple on his pizza, along with ham. It took some time for this combination of flavors to become popular in his Toronto restaurant, but it eventually spread all throughout the world.

The story goes that Panopoulos gave the pizza the name after the brand of canned pineapple he was using. Even so, the Hawaiians may still have a bit of difficulty with the name. Because it didn’t actually come from Hawaii at all, if a person visiting Hawaii wanted to order this pizza, they would probably simply refer to it as ham and pineapple pizza.

International Hawaiian Pizza Day was established to show some love and appreciation for this delectable pizza and those who love it!

How to Celebrate International Hawaiian Pizza Day

Have a tasty time celebrating International Hawaiian Pizza Day engaging in some pizza-related activities such as these:

Order Some Hawaiian Pizza

Head out to a favorite pizza joint, order some Hawaiian pizza and enjoy eating it right there. Or, for those who would rather stay home on this day, get online or on the phone and order some for delivery. But no matter how it happens, the right thing to do is to eat some Hawaiian Pizza! 

Try Making Hawaiian Pizza

Those who feel especially savvy in the kitchen might want to try making their own version of this pizza. This is a great option because it allows for experimentation with certain toppings on parts of the pizza so that everyone in the family can get exactly what they like!

Get Creative With Hawaiian Pizza

Don’t stop with just the ham and pineapple because that is only the beginning! Celebrate International Hawaiian Pizza Day by adding some unique ingredients and flavors, such as some of these:

• Hawaiian Pizza with Bechamel Sauce
• Hawaiian Pizza with Cinnamon and Almond Slivers
• Hawaiian Chicken Barbecue Pizza

Pizza lovers can find all sorts of opportunity to celebrate different Days Of The Year, including National Pizza Day in February, National Pizza Party Day in May, and International Beer and Pizza Day, along with several others!