The Grown Diaries

The pineapple is a native of South America and is a member of the bromeliad family. Here are some other fun facts, according to the Wikipedia Pineapple article:

• Hummingbirds are its natural pollinators.
• The fruit develops from many smaller berries fusing together.
• Wild pineapples will contain one seed for each flower that produced the fruit. However, most commercially grown pineapples do not contain any seeds.
• Common cultivated varieties include Red Spanish, Hilo, Smooth Cayenne, St. Michael, Kona Sugarloaf, Natal Queen, and Pernambuco. The flesh is very tart, except for varieties such as the Del Monte Gold which are bred for sweetness.
• The diamonds on the surface of a pineapple form two interlocking spirals, eight go in one direction, thirteen in the other - both of which are Fibonacci numbers. This is one of many examples of Fibonacci numbers appearing in nature.

I came across an entry on the blog ma’ona, How to cut pineapple like a local, which has some good tips on how to do just that.

I procured a pineapple from our local market and while the fruit is not grown locally per se, it’s technically only one state over from California, right? ;) Anyhow, after reviewing the slicing instructions, I began the dismantling.

Okay, the aesthetic portion of the evening’s entertainment was rather lacking, but the results were well worth the sacrifice. :) Denyse, who loves pineapple anyhow, said this was some of the best she has ever had. The fruit was quite juicy and thus a bit slippery, so the poodle nearly had a couple of tastes of his own on accident. A burst of juice and sugary goodness filled the mouth, like candy.

This brings up an intriguing idea again, which struck me during the Granny Smith and Gala Apples article — how much we lose by neglecting fruit in lieu of severely processed candy. Obvious, yes, but sometimes you have to state it out loud, as a reminder if nothing else.

Anyhow, the final judgment: pineapple, at least if it’s good pineapple, rocks. Now to cook with it….