Pineapple Pizza and Mint Chocolate

Pineapple pizza and mint chocolate are two of the most controversial food combinations people still fight over until now. Very polarizing opinions are placed for their existence—people either love them or hate them, and it’s pretty rare to have someone being in the middle of the spectrum. People love mint chocolate so much that mint chocolate-flavored fried chicken exists in South Korea, while a famous TikTok video about two men calling a pizza restaurant in Italy to order a pineapple pizza and getting yelled at as a result garnered lots of laughs. 

To be fair, both combinations are pretty unconventional. Pairing mint in anything sweet, as some people would argue, is like eating edible children’s toothpaste. The decadence and bittersweetness of chocolate combined with the zingy coolness of mint is a unique experience to the tongue, be it good or bad. This might explain why many people strongly like the flavour as well. The decadence of the chocolate compliments and highlights the freshness of the mint and vice versa. 

Pineapple pizza, or Hawaiian pizza, definitely drifts away from any variant of Italian pizzas. Pizzas are usually savory, be it with a red tomato base or white garlic olive oil base. Its main characteristic is a bread base with different cheeses as toppings. The conventional toppings usually vary between any kind of vegetables and/or protein. This is why putting something sweet, such as pineapple, is not really a typical choice for a pizza. 

Outside of the rise of sweet pizzas—which mostly uses a different, chewier base than a regular savory pizza—pineapple pizzas are usually categorized and combined with ingredients of a savory pizza. This might be why a lot of people get repulsed by this idea. Some love the refreshing sweet fruit being paired with the savory and salty taste of pizza and cheese, but a lot of people feel that the combination is unnatural. Pineapples with high water content may result in a soggier pizza, which is a turn-off for most people trying to enjoy a fluffy bread-based dish. 

People have different ways of mixing their cocktails, right? Preferences aren’t a big deal. But for some reason, conversations can suddenly turn into a fire pit whenever we’re discussing these two controversial topics. Many Korean variety shows featuring Kpop bands such as BTS, TXT, and Gfriend made segments about the members debating about whether or not mint chocolate and pineapple pizza should be a thing. Italians on the internet, such as TikTok, frequently express their disgust on the idea of putting pineapples on pizza, as they do on many Italian dishes butchered in many parts of the world. 

One thing this whole fiasco is exposing is how much value we put on our palates and foods. Rightfully so, we need food to live. Food is also a way of connecting with our community and a way to nourish not only our bodies but also our souls. We associate nostalgia with our food, our childhood, and our memories. 

Another interesting thing that this exposes is how much we hate when our nostalgia is “spoiled” by anything new or different. Just like how older generations always rant about how music from their decade is always better than any new music released, we would also protect the integrity of our favorite foods. When something that gives us joy and memories gets “ruined,” even if it doesn’t directly affect us, we may get irritated just by the fact that it exists. 

In the introduction of Bighit Label’s change of name into HYBE labels, the campaign film featuring their artists showcases the label’s groups under different themes. Some of these themes include ENHYPEN believing in teamwork, SEVENTEEN believing in setting goals, GFRIEND in themselves, and BTS in connection. One group that decided on an odd theme among these seemingly serious themes is TXT, with them believing in Pineapple Pizza. TXT’s video sequences are also the most comedic and animated compared to other groups, with one of them showing a giant talking slice of pineapple. It’s also pretty ironic since one of TXT’s members, Choi Beomgyu, hates pineapple pizza.

At first, everyone thought of it as something to laugh at. Fans were making jokes about how contrasting TXT’s themes to other groups in their label. But as fans did more research and made more theories, they found an interesting meaning behind the choice of the theme. 

According to many MOAs, the official name for TXT’s fans, pineapple pizza symbolizes respecting other people’s opinions. In the campaign film itself, Beomgyu was seen not liking the fact that the band had pineapple pizza for lunch. But knowing that the others like it, Beomgyu still sat with them anyway, giving the pineapples on his pizza to Huening Kai. This meant that despite their differences, Beomgyu would still prioritize their unity. 

It’s interesting how little things in our lives such as food or music can test our bonds with each other. The way we put so much importance on these trivial things, such as different sensations in our tongues, can make or break our relationships or how we perceive each other. Debating these things, although unnecessary, can be a fun way to spend time or strengthen bonds, like how we see these debates melting the ice on many occasions. As long as we take it with a grain of salt, of course. At the end of the day, enjoy your pizzas or fried chicken as you’d like it!