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Move over, pepperoni! Here's why pineapple pizza is awesome

The president of Iceland may want to ban pineapple pizza, but one TODAY editor bravely takes a stand in support of the controversial food.
/ Source: TODAY

Every since the president of Iceland declared that pineapple pizza should be banned, the internet has been arguing over whether or not he's right.

Even TODAY's Kathie Lee Gifford took a stand this morning, saying she's not a fan of ham and pineapple pizza: "It just doesn't work for me. I don't like the salty with the sweet," she said. TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager said she liked the combo in the past, but not that much anymore.

As a born and raised New Yorker, I should be completely opposed to the idea of pineapple pizza. We live and die by the plain saucy, cheesy slice here, eschew all Chicago deep dish pizzas and even shame those who would deign to use a fork and knife — even our own mayor!

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Here's the thing: A properly prepared pineapple and ham pizza, aka a Hawaiian pizza, can be totally delightful. The tangy fruit gets super juicy when it's warmed up and is a lovely sweet foil to salty cured ham.

Hawaiian pizza holds a special place in my heart from my years at a college in the Midwest. It was the only pizza I could find that didn't taste like bland cardboard. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that pineapple pizza saved me from four years of New York-style pizza deprivation. Thank you, pineapple pizza. Thank you.

And pineapple is not the only fruit that's awesome on pizza. Take figs, pears and apples. Pair any of these fabulous fruits with caramelized onions and blue cheese on a pizza and you've got a super amazing and winning combo that may make you forget all about plain old marinara and mozzarella.

Tell us what you think about pineapple pizza in our poll: