Friends of your taste buds – pineapples
Friends of Your Taste Buds - Pineapples
By: Mwangi Wamaina
Salutations again, friends. Now we progress on our voyage from the lentils of Canada onward to the land of Indonesia. The clouds clash with the sturdy spotted dove, the warbling white-throated kingfisher, and the bold barn swallow. The horizons are graced by the jovial Jayawijaya Peak, the mammoth Mount Bromo, the monumental Mahameru, and the cantankerous Kawah Ijen. The tumultuous Tiwu Ata Bupu, Tiwu Ko’o Fai Nuwa Muri and Tiwu Ata Polo, the glorious Gunung Tujuh Lake and the glistening glacier of Carstensz are among its vibrant waters. The land is home to the witty wolai ape, the terrifying tarsius, the keen Komodo dragon, and the nimble New Guinean frogfish. The towers of the land include the mighty mangroves, the tangible teak and slithering supplejacks. Indonesia is also the world’s main producer of an important fruit – the pineapple.
In 2023, Indonesia produced 3,156,576.45 tons of pineapples. In the USA, the 2021 total supply of pineapples numbered 2630.4 million pounds. This fruit is believed to have originated in modern-day Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Historically, pineapples have been used for fishing, weaponry, clothing and medicine. There are many types of pineapples, such as abacaxi, sugarloaf, kew, pernambuco and cabezona.
Pineapples provide nutrients, such as bromelain, manganese, copper, fiber, sucrose, manganese and malic acid. “The prevalent vitamins in pineapple are C, B1 and B6. It is also a good source of folates” (Pamplona-Roger, George D. Encyclopedia of Foods and their Healing Power, vol. 2, pg. 189. Editorial Safeliz, S.L., June 2004.) Vitamins are a type of nutrient known as micronutrients, which perform various important jobs in the human body. There are thirteen vitamins, nine classified as water-soluble and four as fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins can dissolve in water and fat-soluble vitamins can dissolve in fats. The water-soluble vitamins typically leave the body faster and are harder to store, whereas the fat-soluble vitamins last longer in the body. One of these water-soluble vitamins is vitamin C. Vitamin C has different roles, one of which is serving as an antioxidant. The cells of the body undergo various chemical reactions between different molecules and atoms to do their specific tasks. The body produces free radicals from these reactions, similar to trash. If the free radicals are allowed to remain in the body, they can cause harm to cells, known as oxidative stress. This is sort of like outdoor garbage that is never disposed of attracting various insects and wild animals to the site. Vitamin C interacts with the free radicals to stop them from causing damage, like cleaning up the trash. Vitamin C also helps with the proper formation of a protein known as collagen, which is important for enabling strong skin, blood vessels and bones. This is sort of like providing the mortar for bricks when constructing a building. Collagen also helps wounds to heal properly. Hence, without enough collagen, the body will be weaker. A vitamin C deficiency can thus result in bleeding of the gums, delayed wound healing, rashes, bone aches and bone fractures. People can also be more vulnerable to infections caused by bacteria and viruses.
As with many other fruits and vegetables, pineapples can be found in the produce section of grocery stores. In 2023, the retail price for a fresh pineapple was about $0.67 per pound. Currently, the pineapple retail price has been ranging from $0.44 to $0.89 per pound.
Pineapples take about three to seven days to become ripe. This can be noticed by the pineapple being slightly soft and possibly slightly yellow. A whole ripe pineapple can remain fresh for three to five days at room temperature and seven days in a refrigerator. Cut pineapple can last up to five days, frozen pineapple for up to six months, and refrigerated canned pineapple for about five to seven days.
To eat it, one needs to cut out the green leaves at the top. Afterwards, cut the outer part – the skin – generally from top to bottom, then go around the pineapple in the same pattern. The yellow part – the flesh – should finally be visible throughout; in other words, the skin should no longer be present. One can then place the pineapple sideways and divide the pineapple into slices in order to make it easier to eat. Remove any brown spots present as well as the surrounding areas. Pineapples can be eaten just the way they are, used as part of salads, used to make pineapple water and can also be combined with pomegranates in liquid form. (Pamplona-Roger, George D. Encyclopedia of Foods: Healthy Recipes, Vol. 3, pgs. 200, 253, 255, 271, 278. Editorial Safeliz, S.L., May 2005.)
It is now time to eat pineapples!
Mwangi is an M4 at UICOMR
mwamai2@uic.edu