In a delicious twist of culinary history, filmmakers from Hawaii recently travelled to Chatham, Ontario, to trace the roots of one of the world's most debated foods: Hawaiian pizza. The irony wasn't lost on the crew, as the pineapple-topped pie is notoriously hard to find in its namesake U.S. state.
The Quest for Pizza's Origins
The documentary, currently under the working title The Journey To Discover Hawaiian Pizza, is a project by the Island Film Group. Its star, Hawaiian restaurateur and pizzaiolo Matt Resich, spent a day at the legendary Satellite Restaurant in downtown Chatham. His mission was to understand the creation of a dish that, in his words, is "pretty unanimously agreed in Hawaii that the Hawaiian pizza is not Hawaiian at all."
Resich explained that in Hawaii, pineapple carries historical baggage associated with colonization, and local tastes lean toward more "earthy" toppings. Yet, after his visit to the Canadian city, he was convinced of one thing: "It's definitely the home of Hawaiian pizza." He noted the palpable passion for the pizza among locals.
Sam Panopoulos: The Inventor Behind the Slice
The film crew's journey led them to the story of the Satellite Restaurant's former owner, Sam Panopoulos. A Greek immigrant, Panopoulos is widely credited with inventing the Hawaiian pizza in 1962. Resich theorized that Panopoulos made a brilliant marketing move, likely on a cold Canadian winter day, deciding to "sell some sunshine" by reaching for a can of pineapple labelled as a product of Hawaii.
The documentary delves into the context of Panopoulos's innovation. He was partnered with a Chinese chef and was deeply influenced by the sweet-and-sour flavours prevalent in Chinese cuisine, which was a major seller at his restaurant. Panopoulos aimed to incorporate that popular taste profile into pizza to boost sales.
Resich expressed surprise that widespread recognition for Panopoulos and the Satellite Restaurant's role only emerged about 20 years ago. Although he couldn't meet the current owner, Resich left Chatham with newfound respect for Panopoulos, who passed away in June 2017.
A Global Pizza Investigation
The documentary's scope extends far beyond Southwestern Ontario. Over more than two years of filming, the crew has gathered perspectives from Las Vegas, New York, Detroit, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. The broader question driving the film is: "if there is a pizza from a region, what makes it from that region?"
Resich stated that the project has collected a wealth of diverse input, fundamentally changing their understanding of the iconic dish. The film aims to explore not just the origin story in Chatham but the global cultural journey and contentious reputation of the pineapple-topped pizza.
