Ananas comosus (L.) Merril.
Everyone thinks of pineapples as fruits, one the most delicious, juicy and refreshing ones. However, it is in fact an infructescence: a fruit cluster. Each one of the small “buds” or “eyes” that make up pineapple come from a flower growing from the core. Originally from South America and easily found all across the continent, legend has it was first offered to Christopher Columbus by the Guadeloupe island natives. Introduced to Europe, it was such a hit that, as writer Jane Grigson describes in her Fruit book, the people “began to crown their gates and corners of their roofs with stone pineapples, a symbol of hospitality (…).” Many of the Brazilian major crops are in Minas Gerais, Paraíba and Pará states. The country is a leading producer of pineapple in the world. Smooth Cayenne varieties have an orange bark, are bigger and stronger, reason why it is a favorite of the food industry. The acidic and pale yellow pulp is used in the manufacture of juices, jams, ice creams and candied fruits and compotes.
