Pineapple

The pineapple is a fruit. It is native to South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The word “pineapple” came from European explorers, who thought the fruit looked similar to a pine cone. The pineapple is a tropical plant and it must not be kept under 10 degrees. It takes a long time for the pineapple to grow. It mainly depends on the location and the growing conditions it gets. If the temperature is warm, the pineapple will grow faster. On average, it takes about two to three years to grow. If the fruit travels by boat, the fruit must be picked before ripening, since the trip takes a long time. Sometimes, pineapple has to travel by boat to be accessible to all. It is different for air travel. The pineapple can be picked when it is grown, since travel time is short. In most countries, pineapples are called ananas.

Nutrition

A pineapple contains fiber and vitamin C. The stem of the pineapple has an enzyme having healing effects, anti-inflammatory effects and it may reduce edema. The enzyme from the pineapple is beneficial for a person who wants to go on a good diet. Pineapple contains a lot of manganese; the body needs manganese to build strong bones.

Varieties

In the world, there are a lot of varieties of pineapples. In fact, there are more than one hundred varieties that grow in different sizes. Four of those are the main varieties:

• Sugarloaf pineapple: It usually grows in Mexico and Venezuela. The flesh is white and there is no woodiness.
• English Pineapple: It is found in Central America’s countries. The yellow of this pineapple is pale and it has the shape of a square.
• Queen pineapple: It grows in the Hluhluwe region of South Africa. It is less sweet, the flesh is rich and yellow. The flavor of this variety is mild.
• Smooth Cayenne pineapple: This variety comes from Hawaii which is also used to make Hawaiian pizza. It contains high sugar and acid content. The leaves are spineless and they have a cylinder shape.

Symbolism

Before the colonisation of North America, early Europeans commonly called any kind of fruit an “apple”. The Spanish thought that the pineapples looked like pine cones. Even though pineapples have nothing to do with pine cones and apples, because of the similar shape between the pineapple and the pine cone, most people change its meaning into symbolism. Both have been used for symbolizing fertility. The pineapple symbolizes friendship and hospitality to the Caribbeans. These people usually hung pineapples outside their huts to show they are welcome.