14 DAY TRIAL // Columbus and his crew were the first Europeans to taste the pineapple in the Caribbean in 1493. The king of Spain liked its taste very much and the fruit was spread worldwide; by 1548 it was already cultivated in the Philippines.
By the 18th century, pineapple was considered a luxury fruit on the European royal tables. Today, the main areas of pineapple cultivation are Brazil, Hawaii, Mexico, Philippines and Thailand.
Aztecs called it "matzatli", Caribbean Indians "anana" (the fruit is named today in many European languages "ananas"), while in South America it was called "nana". Spanish called the fruit "pina" (pine cone) due to its look, and hence the English name for the fruit.
The pineapple fruit is located on the top of a 60-90 cm (2-3 ft) stem. The fruit is covered by a tough skin and has a handle of small, fleshy leaves on the top. The fruit can weigh 2-4 kg (4.5-9 pounds). When the fruit is small, it looks like a pine cone, and the bark is purple. The ripe fruit goes green and overripe green-yellowish, orange-green or reddish. The ripe flesh has a sweet and flavored aroma.
The pineapple cultivation requires a sandy, acid, organic rich soil with a low level of minerals and high amounts of humidity. Small buds emerging on the lower plant of the fruit and remaining on the plant after the fruit is harvested are planted. Even the leaves handle from the top of the fruit can be planted. The plant needs about one year to mature and start producing the fruit.
In some areas, farmers put a small amount of carbide on the center of the plant before the fruit grows, so that all the fruits ripe at the same time; otherwise, they mature at various periods, turning more difficult the harvesting.
When the pineapple has grown, but it is not ripe yet, it must be covered with paper or pineapple leaves so that it won't be burnt by the sun. One issue: the core of the fruit can produce tongue irritation, that's why it is better to eat just the pulp.
To check if your pineapple is good to eat, knock it with your finger: a dry, jangle sound means the fruit is white, unripe, tasteless; a closed, watery sound means the fruit is ripe, sweet and juicy.
The pineapple fruit is rich in sugars, fibers and vitamins (especially A and C).
A traditional Mexican beverage is tepache: pineapple skin is mixed with water and sugar and left to ferment 2-3 days after which the resulting liquid, acid and sweet, is drunk cold with ice. In the Philippines, the pineapple is cultivated for the fibers obtained from its leaves, made for making extremely fine, white or transparent, fabrics, used for making hand kerchiefs, towels, cordons, shirts and women and children clothing.