Iceland’s President Stirs Up Pineapple Pizza Debate

Our friends to the north (not Canada, like way north) Iceland are in the news these days for stirring up a hot debate: whether or not to put pineapple on a pizza. We know, you have opinions.

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While on a visit to a school, the president of Iceland, Gudni Johannesson, was asked about his personal preferences and one young whippersnapper asked about pineapple pizza. We don’t speak Icelandic but he said (we’re sure in jest) that he would ban pineapple on pizza if he had the power.

And lest your roll your eyes, know this: people care about their pizza. The president’s comments and the associated story were picked up by the Guardian, CNN, USA Today, and Foreign Policy and it was hotly contested in Reddit.

But back to Iceland. Seeing as how Johannesson has a 97 percent approval rating, we’re pretty sure he could outlaw whatever pizza toppings he wants… in Iceland.

A study from Harris Poll found that pineapple was one of the most popular pizza toppings in the U.S., ranked number eight behind pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, cheese, onions, bacon, and ham.

The least favorite topping? Anchovies. Which is exactly what Johannesson suggested people try instead (in a follow up post on his Facebook page). He wrote:

“I like pineapples, just not on pizza. I do not have the power to make laws which forbid people to put pineapples on their pizza. I am glad that I do not hold such power. Presidents should not have unlimited power. I would not want to hold this position if I could pass laws forbidding that which I don’t like. I would not want to live in such a country. For pizzas, I recommend seafood.”

Um, we’ll pass.