After eating it for so many years, do you know what the relationship is between pineapple and pineapple?

Are pineapples and pineapples two different plants?

——How much do you know about the secrets of pineapple?

1. Do pineapples grow on trees?

no.

1. Biological characteristics of pineapple

Pineapple is a herbaceous tropical fruit. Unlike apples and other fruits, the fruit does not grow on trees but grows in herbaceous leaves. Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) is a terrestrial herbaceous plant of the Bromeliaceae family. It has a short stem and many leaves with a rosette-like appearance and a sword-shaped shape. The leaves at the top of the inflorescence become smaller and are often red. The petals are oblong, pointed, purple-red on the upper part and white on the lower part. The flowering period is from summer to winter.

Pineapple Origin and Overview of my country

Pineapples are native to tropical South America and were introduced to European countries in the early 18th century. China has a 300-year history of introducing and cultivating pineapple plants. In 2017, my country's pineapple planting area reached 964,000 mu, ranking fifth in the world. It is mainly planted in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan. The annual total output reached 1.6716 million tons, ranking seventh in the world, and the unit area yield was 2130.18 kg/mu.

2. Are pineapple and pineapple two different plants?

No. They are different names for the same plant.

The main reason why pineapple is also called pineapple is based on the biological characteristics of its different parts. Because pineapple fruit grows in the leaves, the peel is like jackfruit but yellow, and the juice is sweet and sour, it is named pineapple. And because the tip of the pineapple fruit has green leaves and looks like a phoenix tail, it is also called pineapple.

3. Pineapples have many "pits". Is it difficult to "dig" them out when eating?

uncertain.

The original pineapple varieties have many "holes" (also called "eyes") on the fruit skin that go deep into the flesh. When eating, you have to use a sharp knife to carefully dig them out, which is quite troublesome. However, with the continuous improvement of my country's pineapple germplasm innovation level, Chinese scientific and technological workers have cultivated a number of new pineapple germplasms for promotion and application. Some new germplasms have shallow "holes" on the fruit skin, and only the fruit skin needs to be removed to be eaten; some new germplasms only need to gently pull out each "hole" by hand to be eaten, without the need for any other tools.

4. Are pineapples and tree pineapples both pineapples?

no.

The grass pineapple is a pineapple, a terrestrial herb of the genus Bromeli in the family Bromeliaceae, and one of the tropical fruits. It is mainly produced in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and other places in my country. Because its fruit is produced in the herbaceous leaves, in order to distinguish it from the jackfruit whose fruit skin is similar, it is often called the grass pineapple; the tree pineapple is a jackfruit, an evergreen tree of the genus Jackfruit in the family Moraceae. It originated in the Ghats region of India and was introduced to my country in the Tang Dynasty. It is mainly planted in Guangdong and Hainan. Its fruit hangs on the tree like a pineapple. In order to distinguish it from the pineapple, it is also called the tree pineapple.

Jackfruit

Pineapple (Pineapple)

5. Is it okay to store pineapple in the refrigerator?

It depends.

Like other tropical fruits, pineapples also have a ripening period. In order to reduce losses during transportation and storage, most pineapples picked directly from orchards are not fully ripe and cannot be eaten directly. They must be left for a period of time until the fruit becomes soft and ripe before they can be eaten as a fruit to reflect their true pineapple flavor. However, the temperature and humidity required for the ripening of pineapples as fruits are relatively high. Refrigeration in the refrigerator cannot meet the temperature and humidity requirements for the ripening of pineapples. Therefore, if the pineapples you bought have not yet become soft and ripe, it is generally not recommended to store them in the refrigerator for refrigeration, otherwise it will be difficult to eat as a fruit.

General advice: Store unpeeled pineapples in a cool, dry place; store peeled pineapples in a fresh-keeping bag in the refrigerator and eat as soon as possible.

6. Is pineapple sour?

no.

When pineapples were first introduced for cultivation in my country, especially before the 1980s and 1990s, due to the relatively single variety, most of the varieties planted had relatively low sugar and acid content, with high acidity and low sweetness. At the beginning of my country's reform and opening up, as one of the tropical fruits that entered the circulation field earlier, pineapples, as a typical tropical fruit, gave the Chinese people the impression that they were relatively sour. However, with the continuous improvement of my country's pineapple scientific and technological innovation level, the vast number of pineapple science and technology workers in my country have developed a variety of new pineapple fruit varieties, and have established the Pineapple Germplasm Resource Garden of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in Guangdong to collect and preserve various new varieties and excellent germplasm. Some of these varieties and germplasm have a high soluble solids content and a sugar content of 14% or even as high as 17%. A considerable number of varieties and germplasm are comparable to the sweetness of watermelon, mango and sugarcane. Some varieties and germplasm also have a rich aroma and honey flavor.

Sugar content 17-21% rock sugar red pineapple

Soluble solids content 19-22% Red Pearl Pineapple

7. Can pineapple only be eaten as a fruit?

no.

1. Nutritional value of pineapple

Every 100 grams of pineapple contains 87.1 grams of water, 0.5 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, 1.2 grams of fiber, 0.3 grams of ash, 8.5 milligrams of carbohydrates, 6 milligrams of phosphorus, 0.2 milligrams of iron, 0.08 milligrams of carotene, 0.21 milligrams of vitamin B1, 0.25 milligrams of vitamin B2, 18 milligrams of vitamin C, 0.5 milligrams of niacin, 126 milligrams of potassium, 1.2 milligrams of sodium, 0.08 milligrams of zinc, and also contains pineapple enzymes, amino acids, organic acids and other ingredients.

2. Efficacy and function

(1) Promote digestion: The ester substances contained in pineapple can emit an attractive aroma, which can stimulate the secretion of digestive juices such as saliva and gastric juice. The fiber components contained in pineapple may also promote gastrointestinal motility. Therefore, eating pineapple in moderation can promote digestion and improve constipation.

(2) Clearing away heat and relieving summer heat: Pineapples are high in water content, and have a sweet and sour taste and a crisp texture. Eating them properly in summer can help clear away heat and relieve summer heat, as well as promote the production of body fluids and quench thirst.

(3) Diuretic and detumescent: Pineapple contains a large amount of potassium ions. Eating a moderate amount can help with diuresis and detumescence, and has a certain effect on relieving symptoms such as eyelid edema.

(4) Beauty and skin care: Pineapple contains a lot of vitamin C, which has certain effects of whitening the skin, fading spots, moisturizing and rejuvenating the skin, and has an auxiliary effect on beauty and skin care;

(5) Remove greasiness and relieve fatigue: Pineapple has a sweet and sour taste and contains bromelain. Eating some pineapple after eating a large meal can remove the greasiness, reduce fatigue, and refresh the mind.

8. How to choose pineapple?

When buying pineapples, choose those that are plump in appearance, golden in color, hard in texture and fragrant. Avoid those that are thin, shriveled, green in color, soft in texture and have no fragrance.

Look at the appearance: The fruit of high-quality pineapples is cylindrical or oval with slightly pointed ends, of uniform and moderate size, with a regular shape and few buds. The skin of a well-matured pineapple is light yellow or bright yellow, with a slight green tint at both ends, and the crown buds on the top are blue-brown; the skin of an unripe pineapple is iron blue or slightly brown. If the top of the pineapple fruit is full, the skin turns yellow, and the flesh becomes soft and orange-yellow, it means that it has reached 90% maturity. Such pineapples are juicy, high in sugar, strong in fragrance, and good in flavor. If you are not eating it immediately, it is best to choose a variety that is still hard, light yellow with a green sheen, and about 70% to 80% mature.

Look at the flesh tissue: after cutting, pineapples with shallow and small eyes, light yellow interior, thick flesh and small core are high-quality ones; inferior pineapples have deep and numerous eyes, large internal tissue gaps, thin flesh and thick core; the flesh of immature pineapples is brittle, hard and white.

Check the hardness of the fruit: Press the pineapple gently with your hand. If it is hard and inelastic, it is a raw pineapple; if it is firm but soft, it is mature; if it is sunken or even concave, it is an over-ripe pineapple; if juice overflows, it means the fruit has deteriorated and can no longer be eaten.

Smell its aroma: You can also tell whether a pineapple is ripe by the intensity of its aroma. A well-matured pineapple has a slight aroma on its skin, and the flesh has a rich aroma; a pineapple with a strong aroma is overripe, will not last long, and will rot easily; a pineapple without an aroma is probably picked raw, contains insufficient sugar, and is tasteless.

9. Can eating pineapple help you lose weight?

Yes.

Eating pineapple can help cleanse the body and reduce fat. Pineapple contains almost all the vitamins needed by the human body, 16 natural minerals, and can effectively help digestion and absorption. The secret of pineapple weight loss lies in its rich juice, which can effectively acidify fat. You can effectively eat pineapple or drink pineapple juice with your food every day.

10. Can raw pineapple be eaten?

It's best not to eat it.

First, it can easily reduce the sense of taste and irritate the oral mucosa; second, it can easily lead to the production of bromelain.

11. Will eating pineapple cause allergies?

Maybe.

Eating too much pineapple or eating unprocessed raw pineapple can easily cause allergic reactions in some people with sensitive constitutions, resulting in symptoms such as itchy skin.

How to deal with it: After peeling the pineapple, cut it into slices or chunks, soak it in light salt water for half an hour, then rinse it with cold boiled water to remove the saltiness. You can then enjoy the fresh taste of the pineapple with confidence.

12. In addition to being eaten, pineapples can also be worn. Do you believe it?

Yes.

In addition to being edible as fruit, the pineapple leaves left after the fruit is picked contain a lot of fiber, so the fiber can be extracted and spun into yarn and woven into clothing. Due to the special structure of pineapple fiber, it is difficult for fungi to survive in it, so clothing woven with pineapple fiber, such as socks, has a strong inhibitory effect on athlete's foot and foot odor caused by fungi. Wearing socks made of pineapple fiber, even if you have athlete's foot or sweaty feet, take off the socks at night and put them in a ventilated and dry place to dry until the next day, the odor on the socks will disappear again. This can be repeated for 5-6 days, which is very convenient for people with sweaty feet to use when going out.

Pineapple Leaf Fiber

Extract pineapple fiber

Pineapple fiber fabric

13. What are the taboos in eating pineapple?

1. People with gastric ulcer, kidney disease, or pineapple allergy should not eat pineapple, as it may cause allergic diseases or worsen the condition.

2. Do not eat pineapples and eggs together. The protein in the eggs combines with the fruit acid in the pineapple, which can easily cause the protein to coagulate and affect digestion.

3. Soak pineapple in salt water for 10 minutes before eating to remove bioglycosides and bromelain to avoid itching and numbness in the mouth.

14. How to eat more healthily?

Since pineapples contain stimulating glycosides and bromelain, the peel and thorns should be trimmed, the flesh should be cut into pieces, and soaked in dilute salt water or sugar water to extract the glycosides before eating.

Pineapple can be peeled and washed and eaten raw, or canned, made into jam, wine, juice, etc. In addition, it can also be cooked, such as baked on pizza.

Eating pineapple after eating meat or greasy food is very good for the body. "Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple" and "Pineapple Beef" are dishes that can be eaten with confidence.

Author: 1. Wu Huasong (Researcher at the Institute of Tropical Crop Germplasm Resources, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Secretary-General of the Germplasm Resources Protection and Utilization Committee of the Chinese Society of Tropical Crops)

2. Luan Aiping (Institute of Tropical Crop Variety Resources, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences)