I’m a top Italian chef & there’s NOTHING wrong with a Hawaiian pizza – here’s the best one you can find in supermarkets
IT’S the culinary debate even professional chefs can’t agree on. When it comes to pizza, is the controversial Hawaiian – a combination of ham and pineapple – amazing or absolutely awful?
The owners of Lupa Pizza in Norwich have made their view clear, declaring the topping a “tropical menace” and charging any customers who order the “revolting” dish £100 for the privilege.
To find out if it ever works, we asked Italian kitchen ace and pizza- lover Aldo Zilli – top chef at Undercroft Mayfair – to taste and rate the best store buys out of five.
Stonebaked Ham & Pineapple Pizza
355g, £2.49, Aldi
FOR the price, this is not bad. They’ve been generous with the ham and the pineapple is cut into slim, small pieces, which I think is how it should be sliced for sweetness.
The tomato base isn’t so great, but it still tastes okay and it’s been evenly spread.
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The dough cooked well and it’s nice and thin and crispy when you eat it. It reminds me of a Roman pizza, which is more than acceptable.
Good value, too.
RATING: 3/5
Stonebaked Ham & Pineapple Hand-Stretched Pizza
295g, £3.50 (£2.50 with Nectar card), Sainsbury’s
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THIS is a very generic-tasting pizza and not that cheap, either.
I was expecting a much fruitier flavour given the cost. I don’t really like the topping here because the pineapple is cut into ugly chunks that are too thick and the meat is in big lumps.
It doesn’t look pretty and it’s not nice to eat.
The crusts didn’t cook evenly, either. If you’re going to have ham and pineapple, then that’s what I want to be able to taste.
RATING: 2/5
Classic Hawaiian Woodfired Stonebaked Pizza
463g, £6, Marks And Spencer
A GOOD size here – it’s larger than the rest at 12 inches.
On top, it has the best ham of the six I tested. Overall, the ingredients are very good – but there’s simply not enough of any of them, especially pineapple, given the large base to cover.
The mozzarella is lumped in the middle so, if you’re sharing, not everyone will get the same mouthful.
The deep pan style is great and looks delicious, but alas it’s poor value.
RATING: 4/5
Stonebaked ‘The Hawaiian’ Ham & Pineapple Pizza
351g, £3.50 (£2.25 Clubcard Price), Tesco
TESCO offers a version that looks like a real Italian pizza – and that’s the best compliment I can give.
It cooked perfectly evenly, with all the toppings spread out like a chef would do, so you still have a nice rim of chewy crusts left around the edge that you can dip into a sauce.
For me, the best pizza is all about the base and this is really excellent. The tomato sauce is slightly bitter, but it’s the best of all of them.
I would buy this.
RATING: 5/5
Ham & Pineapple Pizza (frozen)
2x387g, £2.89, Lidl
NOT the best start as it stuck to the tray after cooking in the oven.
Also, the toppings have been spread right up to the edge of the crusts and, as it has a thinner base, this makes it soggier. It sounds strange, but there’s almost too much topping.
A bit less with some crust left around the edge and it would cook more evenly. Lots of tomato, the pineapple is fruity while the ham tastes smoked – but needs more cheese.
A good standby.
RATING: 3/5
Iceland Frozen Thin Crust Ham & Pineapple Pizza
314g, £1, Iceland
ADDING Edam cheese may be unusual, but only a pound for a pizza? That’s incredible value for money.
It cooked well for frozen dough and it didn’t stick to the tray at all. Quite small and compact to look at, but that’s fine as I really like the light crust.
But I’m not so keen on the ham, which is watery and tasteless.
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The pineapple is a bit soggy, too, but for a quid it’s not bad at all. One to eat with a beer as you watch the football.
RATING: 4/5
Pineapple on pizza? My verdict
By Aldo Zilli
AS an Italian personally I prefer Naples to Hawaii when it comes to my pizza toppings but if you like tropical flavourswith your cheese and tomato then you should eat it!
I simply don’t get the fuss about fruit and ham together. People love it so who am I to take it away from your dough if that’s what you enjoy!
I’m not the pizza police!
My family have a Hawaiian regularly and it’s actually a favourite of my daughters.
If you are going to eat, order or make it yourself then you want good ham and the pineapple cut wafer thin.
Ideally cook the pizza and add the fruit as a flourish at the very end don’t put it in the oven – a bit adding like parmesan shavings.
That’ll give you a sweet and sour topping taste which melts in your mouth.’