Indigenous to South America the pineapple is a popular fruit across tropical regions and cuisines. Known for its balance of sweet and tart flavors, the pineapple pairs well with other tropical fruits such as passionfruit, oranges or grapefruit.
In popular culture the pineapple has become the recognized symbol of welcome and hospitality, finding its way into door fronts, knockers and commonly depicted on flags. This is because, during the sailing era (approximately 1570’s–1860’s), the sweet fruit was a luxury item, often given as a gift, due to the expense of transit from its native region in the tropics. In this respect, the pineapple was much like sugar, a commodity of the privileged elite class. It is considered by some to be the fruit of colonialism since many of the world powers at that time sought to establish pineapple plantations in the tropics of South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean.
