NEW YORK — Michael Kay recently revealed his unfamiliarity with a common pizza topping during a live broadcast. The YES Network announcer mistakenly believed that banana peppers on pizza meant combining bananas and peppers.
While Los Angeles Angels pitcher Mike Baumann was leading the game with an 8-2 score in the ninth inning of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Kay attempted to share an interesting tidbit about the pitcher. “I know you’re a more adventurous eater than I am,” Kay told his broadcast partner Paul O’Neill. “But you’d have to agree with me on this. Baumann’s favorite pizza toppings are banana, peppers, and bacon.”
O’Neill was confused. “Banana peppers and bacon?” he asked. “Oh, I’ve had that. I thought you meant bananas. I thought we were going for a Hawaiian-style pizza with bananas, pineapple, and ham.”
Kay, also confused, assumed that banana peppers referred to actual bananas. “Well, excuse me for not knowing… what’s a banana pepper?” he asked. O’Neill then explained that banana peppers are small rings of pickled peppers.
Despite their name, banana peppers are not bananas. They get their name from their shape and color, not their taste. Kay, who is known for his limited diet, including only iceberg lettuce without any additional toppings, seemed puzzled by the idea of banana peppers on pizza.
“You would put that on pizza?” Kay asked O’Neill, clearly unsure.
O’Neill confirmed, “Oh yeah, I would.”
While bananas are indeed used as a pizza topping in Sweden, Kay’s confusion about banana peppers highlights his unfamiliarity with this common ingredient.