TEN SWEET FACTS ABOUT PINEAPPLES
Despite their prickly appearance, the pineapple is as sweet a fruit as they come. With a taste that instantly transports you to a balmy tropical vacation, it’s no wonder that many enjoy a slice or two in their drink, as a dessert or even a light snack.
This ono (delicious) tropical fruit had been cultivated in the islands for centuries and is often associated with many Hawaiian dishes. And despite its small size, Hawaii actually grows roughly 10 percent of the world’s pineapples.
Here are ten juicy facts about the funny-looking fruit that you might not know:
- The scientific name for pineapple is ‘ananas comosus’ – which translates to ‘tufted excellent fruit’ in Tupi, the pineapple’s native language of Brazil.
- It takes almost three years for a single pineapple to mature into a ripe fruit from a seed.
- Contrary to common belief, pineapples do not grow on a tree or underground. The pineapple fruit actually grows above ground on top of a bush of spiky leaves.
- Pineapples don’t mature after they’ve been harvested. So if you’ve picked a pineapple and are waiting for it ‘ripen’ the chances are it will spoil instead.
- The Hawaiian Pineapple Company was started in 1900 by James Dole, who came to be known as ‘The Pineapple King.’ His company was later renamed Dole Foods and is now an international fruit company with business in more than 90 countries.
- Today, a majority of pineapples are grown and harvested in Costa Rica.
- In the Hawaiian language, pineapples are referred to as ‘hala kahiki’ or foreign hala. ‘Hala’ is another type of fruit, which closely resembles a pineapple.
- The last pineapple cannery in Hawaii, Del Monte, closed its factory in 2006. However, pineapples are still grown locally throughout the state, including at Dole Plantation, which is a stop on our Grand Circle Island Tour.
- Pineapples can be cultivated for up to 50 years in the wild, but are harvested on plantations after only one ‘season.’ In Hawaii, pineapples are grown year-round but harvesting season typically takes place between March and July.
- A pineapple is actually not an apple or a pine – it’s a berry!
From pineapple-inspired clothes to novelties and décor, the sweet delicacy is making its way from the fields into homes across America. And now you can take home your own slice of paradise by ordering these pineapples to go on your Roberts Hawaii Departure Airport Shuttle.
Our airport-ready boxes of Sweet Gold™ pineapples are available for $28 and will be delivered to you at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) as you disembark from your Roberts Hawaii shuttle. Each box will contain more than 10 lbs of Sweet Gold Pineapple™ that have been pre-inspected, packed, and sealed at a USDA approved facility. No need to struggle with that heavy box when you check-out from your hotel or stress about finding the time pick it up on your last day in paradise.