Why are Pineapples called Pineapples?

Lindani Mgoduka
Aug 26, 2022
4 min read

1) Introduction

The pineapple is a tropical fruit that is indigenous to the wet islands of South America. To distinguish it from other botanical fruits, it is referred to as Ananas comosus. But since the fruit is also known by the name Annas comosus, why is it named pineapple? This article aims to investigate the origins of the name "pineapple," and it will typically discuss some of the fruit's health advantages.

2) Why are pineapples called pineapples?

Anyone would probably laugh if I told them that calling the tropical fruit pineapples is inaccurate. As it was mentioned in the introduction, the English name for this plant fruit is Annas comosus. Let's first think about how the fruit differs from the Apple family in appearance. Why then are they called pineapples? According to historians and food producers and the fruit was called pinecone, though it still far removed from the pine-cone specie but due to the cone inside the fruit which is also the seed-bearing fruit of the pine tree was the first plant fruit to be termed pineapple owing to its similarity to a pinecone (merriam-webster.com and thespruceeats.com). Further arguments are that even though the term pineapple is worldly accepted to term the fruit, this is all due to the English influence of calling the fruit.

The term "pineapples" is frequently used in languages other than English; even the Japanese and Weish use the terms "painappuru" and "pinafel," respectively, to describe pineapples. Due to these factors, we must travel back to 1493 and the arrival of Columbus's mission to Guadeloupe to understand why the fruit is called pineapples. Upon seeing the fruit, the Columbus gave it the name pia de Indes, which is translated as "pine of the Indians," since they believed it to resemble a pine tree (mentalfloss.com). Rewind to 1664, when the English first arrived and gave the fruit the name "pineapple" because it sounded tropical and because its seeds resembled those of a pinecone.

2.2 Where does the term Ananas comosus originate?

Was it the term "pinecone" that was initially used to describe "ananas comosus" instead of "pineapple" to describe pineapples? However, as the section above amply demonstrates, the name "pineapples" is used to refer to pineapples due to the influence of English on American English.

The name "ananas comosus" is an old one that was used to describe pineapples. It comes from the native indigenous languages of Brazil and Paraguay. According to historians, the terminology for the ananas comosus fruit may also have been influenced by a variety of languages over time. The fruit originated in these two nations and was greatly influenced by Old Tupi language, which called the fruit nanas to describe an "excellent fruit" or from the systematic name that was derived later, which included ananassa sativa and later ananas comosus (eurologos-milano.com).

3 Where does the crop pineapples come from?

The fruit in nowadays is found practically all over the globe, from Africa to China or Europe to South America. In the Island of Hawaii pineapples form part of its major economic agricultural activity. However, the fruit does not form part of the native plant species found in the tropical Island of Hawaii, the fruit is native to the southern boarders of Brazil and South America particularly Paraguay. It is said that the native people Indians descent spread pineapples in South and Central America and to the Mexican and the West Indies calling it ananas (pitara.com).

3.1 What is a pineapple?

Pineapples form part of the botanic ananas comosus species and are known as low-growing plants with spiky leaves taking almost two years to sprout a single full pineapple fruit. This type of fruit is commonly known to contain proteolytic enzyme called bromelain and is one of the well-known eatable members of the bromeliaceous plants.

3.2 What are some of health benefit for eating pineapples?

This type of plant is part of a few plants that is known to contain bromelain, bromelain is proteolytic enzyme are small particle capable breaking down proteins. These small particle helps your body reaction system act quicker, bromelain act as a mixture of many proteolytic enzymes, thus breaking down your proteins in various ways (thespruceeats.com).

Conclusion

Who doesn't love a delicious mouth-watering pineapple? We all enjoy this fruit, especially as a dessert or meat topping on the barbecue. One pineapple is reported to take about two years to reach full maturity, yet pineapple plantations are a significant source of income for the island of Hawaii, providing nearly 10% of its GDP. Do you know who domesticated this fruit in South America and Europe, and where does the fruit originally come from? Do you know the origin of the name pineapple? You will learn the answers to these questions in this eight-minute read, along with some of the fruit's health advantages.

FAQs about pineapples?

A. What different class of pineapple? Pineapple has about three different class namely smooth cayenne (weighs 4-10 pounds), abacaxi (2-11 pounds), red Spanish, and the Queen pineapple.

B. How can I preserve my pineapple once I have cut it? The best formular is to store it in a container and refrigerate

C. Where can I buy pineapple? Your local grocery store should have it, some will only sell during the reaping season which April to July.