Pineapple on pizza makes some folks squirm, but, for others, it might just be the ultimate comfort food, judging by Grubhub’s recent Year in Food report detailing the top trends of 2020.
The annual report found that the controversial Hawaiian pizza—typically featuring red sauce, cheese, ham and dices or chunks of pineapple—became “America’s Favorite Pizza” this year. Analyzing orders from more than 30 million diners from January through November, Grubhub found that the Hawaiian pizza was 689 percent more popular in 2020 than in the same period for 2019.
Related: Try this recipe for Spicy Hawaiian Pizza from Carando
Most pizza historians believe the Hawaiian pizza was actually the invention of a Canadian named Sam Panopoulos. He is said to have been the first person to pile ham and pineapple chunks together on a pizza in 1962 at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario.
Perhaps reflecting the Hawaiian pie’s surging popularity, Papa John’s added the Super Hawaiian Pizza to its rapidly evolving menu in September. It’s made with “tidbits” of Dole pineapples, julienne-cut Canadian bacon, hickory-smoked bacon, a three-cheese blend and mozzarella. “At Papa John’s, we believe that pineapple belongs on pizza,” Paul Fabre, the chain’s senior vice president of production innovation, said at the time.
Meanwhile, Grubhub reports that Buffalo chicken pizza was 226 percent more popular in 2020, while pizza puffs grew in popularity by 232 percent.
Recipe video: Peter Reinhart’s recipe for the Motor City Hawaiian pizza
Other foods that gained popularity in 2020 were the spicy chicken sandwich (318 percent more popular), the chicken burrito bowl (299 percent more popular), chicken wings (287 percent more popular), waffle fries (221 percent more popular) and cold-brew coffee (206 percent more popular).
Grubhub named Da Nonna Rosa in New York City to its “Best of Grubhub” list. Da Nonna Rosa has a five-star Grubhub rating, with 92 percent of Grubhub users saying the food was good, 93 percent saying their delivered pizza arrived on time and 95 percent saying the order was correct.
