If you’re anything like us, you’ll have taken a passionate stance in the most important debate to have gripped the world in recent weeks.
It all started when the President of Iceland aired a controversial opinion that sparked a chorus of protest – and even greater support. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson laid bare his disdain for pineapple on pizza. "I like pineapples, just not on pizza," he wrote, but stopped short of calling for a country-wide ban because “presidents should not have unlimited power”. Still, he recommended seafood as a favourable pizza topping.
Some called Jóhannesson “cowardly” for failing to stick to his guns. “Pineapple on pizza is a war crime,” wrote Refinery29’s Michael Hafford. “You do not ruin two perfectly good things by putting them together. This isn't peanut butter and chocolate. This is fire and gasoline.”
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More than half (56%) of respondents to our Twitter poll answered a blunt ‘HELL NO!’ to whether pineapple was an acceptable topping. Less than a third (31%) of readers expressed an unequivocal ‘YAS!’, while just a tenth (11%) said the issue was no big deal, highlighting the gravity of the issue.
Iceland's President backtracks on his pineapple pizza ban, lets country down. But where do you stand? https://t.co/3B2f7LngIB
— Refinery29 UK (@Refinery29UK) February 22, 2017
Evidently, then, public opinion is split when it comes to pineapple – but what makes the British public tick when it comes to pizza toppings? Do any have us collectively salivating over our keyboards as we contemplate our Friday night Domino’s?
Happily, a new survey has been conducted on this very issue. The pollsters at YouGov asked people which pizza toppings they actually liked – and the results might surprise you.
Mushrooms came out on top – with nearly two thirds (65%) saying they enjoyed them on pizza. The humble onion came in second (62%), followed by ham (61%) and peppers (60%). Other toppings appreciated by more than half of the country included chicken (56%), pepperoni (56%) and tomato (as a topping, 51%). Reflecting the recent polarising debate, pineapple ranked in the middle of the league table, with 42% saying they liked it. The least popular toppings are arguably even more of an acquired taste than pineapple – tuna (22%) and anchovies (18%) came bottom.
There were some other interesting findings to come out of the survey, too. Women were far more likely to opt for spinach, while men were more likely to choose meat, chillies and jalapeños.
Younger people were also more likely to be drawn to adventurous toppings like chicken, pepperoni, sweetcorn and pork, while older people were more likely to prefer mushroom or tomato as a topping. Notably, no demographic group was particularly likely to opt for pineapple.