Pineapple
Pineapple is a tropical fruit with a sweet-tart golden flesh and a tough spiky skin. It is juicy and fragrant and eaten fresh, grilled, juiced or used in desserts and savory dishes. It is grown widely in Brazil, Paraguay and across the tropics.
കൈതച്ചക്ക: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Pineapple is native to South America, where it was cultivated long before spreading around the world. Brazil and Paraguay remain important growing regions.
Explore the cuisine of Brazil, Paraguay.
Nutrition: A good source of vitamin C and manganese.
Enjoying Pineapple
Ways to enjoy it
- Fresh slices with a pinch of chili and lime
- Grilled with a little brown sugar and cinnamon
- Blended into juice or smoothies
- Chopped into salsa with cilantro
- Baked with ham or roasted pork
- Tossed into fruit salad
How to choose, prepare and store
- Pick a pineapple that smells sweet at the base and feels heavy for its size, with golden color near the bottom.
- Let a firm pineapple sit on the counter for a day or two to soften; it will not get sweeter but will get juicier.
- Cut off the top and bottom, then slice off the skin in strips, removing the brown eyes.
- Quarter the fruit lengthwise, cut away the tough core and slice or chop.
- Store cut pineapple in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze chunks on a tray for smoothies.
Variations
- Grilled pineapple rings.
- Pineapple fried rice.
- Pineapple upside-down cake.
Cook’s tip: Enzymes in fresh pineapple can irritate the mouth and prevent gelatin from setting; use canned or cooked fruit for gelatin desserts.
Also on the menu in
- Angola
- Australia
- Benin
- Brunei
- Cameroon
- Congo
- Cook Islands
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guyana
- Indonesia
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Malaysia
Related dishes
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
- കൈതച്ചക്ക: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)