Pineapple, an exquisite fruit

11/28/18

There's no doubt that the Queen Victoria is the best pineapple in the world. Simply taste it, close your eyes and enjoy a sensory experience as strong as a kiss of love. By Thomas Bravo-Maza

The pineapple is a plant that can't be sown and forms without any fertilization! Reproduction takes place via the bulbils of the fruit stump. A spike appears at the center of a rosette of leaves. It contains small pink or blue flowers that turn into tiny fruits which, by fusing together, give rise to the large fruit we know today. At harvest time, 18 to 22 months have elapsed since the stump was planted. Pineapple is a tropical plant that dies if exposed to temperatures below 10°C. It requires well-drained, rich, acidic soil.

Label Rouge pineapple

On Reunion Island, producers have cleverly played the high quality card of Label Rouge pineapple (the first Label Rouge ever awarded to a tropical fruit) with the most prestigious pineapple variety of all: Queen Victoria. Launched in 2005 with the support of the French Chamber of Agriculture, and controlled by a certification body (OCTROI), production is only marketed by air and at perfect maturity, in accordance with fairly restrictive specifications, particularly with regard to the use of pesticides. "Here, everyone seems to have understood that quality is the only lifeline," confirms Kent Techer, head of OCTROI. In the end, the product is exceptional, with a complexity of aromas that is quite unheard of. It's well worth the effort to find it, and the high price.

The Rolls of pineapple, the Queen Victoria plane

Small in size - 600 grams compared with 2 kg on average for a smooth Cayenne or sweet golden (MD2) - this variety is easily recognizable on the shelves by its beautiful golden-yellow color and the intense fragrances that emanate from the fruit.

Where does it come from? Réunion (conventional and Label Rouge), Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa. There's no doubt about it: this is the best pineapple in the world. Simply taste it, close your eyes and enjoy a sensory experience as powerful as a kiss of love. The only drawback: the fruit is fragile. The solution: eat it right away, as it's just ripe; on the contrary, keeping it in the fridge will give it the coup de grâce.

What to drink it with?

For dessert, as an accompaniment to roasted pineapple with a Bourbon or Tahitian vanilla pod, a small glass of Jurançon is a must. A roasted Sauternes will also do the trick. Unless you're on the hunt for rum, either aged or "arranged" by yourself.

Pineapple makes you slim. Fact or fiction?

Eaten fresh, pineapple has the ability to aid digestion because, like kiwi fruit, it contains Bromelain, a "proteolythic" enzyme that digests up to 1000 times its weight in protein. As a result, Bromelain tenderizes meat, prevents gelatin from setting, "turns" milk, and softens fruit in fruit salads (hence the importance of adding pineapple at the last minute). On the other hand, this enzyme does not digest fats. Following a pineapple cure can help you lose weight, but above all water and muscle... Good to know Color and quality have nothing to do with it. Green pineapple (Champaka or smooth Cayenne) or white pineapple (Bouteille) can be excellent. Check that the plumet (crown) has not wilted. Pineapples ripen from the bottom up. It is therefore riper at the base. Don't store in the fridge, as it dies below 8°c.

photos pixabay