The pineapple is thought to be native to Paraguay and southern Brazil. South American continent based natives eventually would go on to spread the fruit to the Caribbean islands, where Christopher Columbus would discover it. Columbus brought the fruit back with him to Spain, and from there it was introduced to the rest of Europe. Obviously the fruit would not grow in mainland Europe due to weather conditions, however eventually the Spanish would conquer the Philippines and Hawaii, and cultivate it there. The very first commercial pineapple plantation was set up in 1886 in Guam, and then shortly thereafter the fruit migrated to Africa, where it would be cultivated in Zimbabwe. Around this time, the Europeans would figure out a way to grow the fruit in greenhouses, and from there they would cultivate different species of the tropical fruit.
There are many different species of pineapple, such as the Hilo, Red Spanish, St. Michael, Natal Queen, Smooth Cayenne, and many others. Some of these species were grown specifically for their sweetness and flavor, while others where grown for their high acidic content for use in medical products. In it's natural wild state, a pineapple is not edible, as the acidic level is too high, and it has zero sweetness. It literally took centuries of scientific research in cultivating the fruit before the world could enjoy the delicious pineapple that we have all come to know today. Probably the most commonly grown varieties are the Kona Sugarloaf, a pineapple made famous by the massive export quantities flowing out of the Hawaiian Islands. The fruit does still exist in the wild, though it is fairly rare to find, and usually deep in the jungle.
By the late nineteenth century, a rich industrialist named James Dole would get involved in the pineapple cultivation business. Dole set up massive plantations on the island of Hawaii, and began exporting large quantities of canned pineapple and pineapple juice to the United States, where it became an extremely lucrative commodity. Shortly after Dole's foray into the pineapple business, another major rival named Del Monte would set up shop in Hawaii. Both companies cultivated their own varieties of the fruit, with both having a distinctive sweetness level, texture, and flavor. By the twentieth century other small lesser known companies would try to dive into the lucrative pineapple business, but eventually Dole and Del Monte would outpace them all, and go on to dominate the United States market.
In the contemporary world, Southeast Asia is the lead producer of pineapple, with Thailand leading the way by shipping about two million tons of the fruit annually. The Philippines are the second largest producer, followed by Brazil, Costa Rica, and Cote d'Ivoire in Africa. The largest markets for canned pineapple, pineapple juice, and other pineapple byproducts is the United States and Europe. Fruits used for consumption are all of the low acid sweet variety, while other high acid varieties are cultivated for their Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme used both as a meat tenderizer, as well as in many different types of medicine. So the next time you bite into a fresh juicy pineapple, consider for a second the amazing journey the fruit has taken over the centuries to make it's way into your kitchen. We hope you enjoyed this article, do be sure to browse around our website some more, as we have tons of recipes and articles.
