Pineapples were first discovered in South America by the explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493, in what is thought to be modern day Guadeloupe. The fruit are thought to be native to the countries of Guadeloupe, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. The explorer would later bring the fruits to Europe.
Pineapples were named by the Spanish, they called it Piña. It is thought that the name originated due to the fruits similar look to an ordinary pine cone. The scientific genus is named Ananas, which comes from the Tupi word which means excellent fruit. The species itself is called Comosus.
Pineapples were first introduced to mainland Europe by English and Spanish traders. Both England and Spain were the first western civilizations to cultivate the fruit. The Spanish were mostly responsible for it's early western cultivation, spreading it throughout Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines.
Did you know that the original South American Pineapple genus, was transplanted to the Caribbean Islands by the Carib Indians. Native South American tribes has a long history of pineapple cultivation, well before western explorers settled the continents and islands of the new world.
Can you guess what Pineapples natural pollinator is? The answer is the tropical Hummingbird. The Pineapple flowers are large with thick leaves. Obviously through cultivation, the fruit is artificially pollinated by farmers, through a very highly specialized technique.
Did you know that there are a specific type of enzyme called proteolytic bromelain within a pineapple. These enzymes help the body break down proteins. For this reason alone, pineapple juice is very often used to tenderize meat with special pineapple juice marinades.
The largest producer of pineapple crops in the world is the country Thailand, followed by the Philippines, then Brazil. Annual world production rates can reach as high as 15 million tons. Although Thailand is the top producer, Costa Rica and the Ivory Coast are the largest pineapple exporters.
Most of the fresh non canned pineapples found throughout the consumer markets in the United States and Europe, are imported from the State of Hawaii. This imported pineapple species is specially developed to have low acidic levels ideals for consumption.
Hawaii produces a rare form of alcohol produced with fermented pineapple juice. The beverage is commonly called pineapple wine, a very popular drink with Hawaiian natives and tourists alike that visit the Pacific islands. The name of the wine is called Maui Blanc, produced by Tedeschi Vineyards.
