For me there is nothing that says “Aloha” better than a chunk of fresh pineapple. The sweet juicy flavor of yellow goodness brings a welcome “hello” to any dish it is served in.

Named for resembling a pine cone, this exotic fruit found in many desserts is also used to create fruit salad, jam, yogurt, ice cream, and candy. Pineapple is also often made into chutney and added to meat dishes as a complement to the salty flavor. Hawaiian pizza has also become very popular, pairing the pineapple with ham and peppers. The piña colada is perhaps one of the best know and most refreshing uses of the delicious fruit. In addition to consumption the pineapple’s leaves are also used to produce a textile fiber called piña, which is employed as a component of wallpaper and furnishings.

The bromeliad known as pineapple is indigenous to South America and is said to originate from the area between Southern Brazil and Paraguay. The natives of the region spread the pineapple throughout South America, eventually reaching the Caribbean. Columbus discovered it in 1493 in the Indies and brought it back with him to Europe making the pineapple the first bromeliad to leave the New World.

Although it was Captain Cook who discovered the Sandwich Islands, John Kidwell is credited with the introduction of the pineapple industry in Hawaii. Large-scale pineapple cultivation by U.S. companies began in the early 1900s on Hawaii. Among the most famous and influential pineapple industrialists was James Dole, who moved to Hawaii in 1899 and started a pineapple plantation the following year. The Dole company began growing pineapple on 60 acres of land on the island of Oahu in 1901, followed by Del Monte in 1917. The Maui Pineapple Company began pineapple cultivation on the island of Maui in 1909. Del Monte stopped its pineapple cultivation in 2006, leaving only Dole and Maui Pineapple Company in Hawaii as the USA’s largest growers of pineapples.

Many people seem to be a bit intimidated by getting into a pineapple. Like anything, it’s easy if you know how. Here is a quick and easy method to chunk a pineapple.

Start by cutting off the top and the bottom of the pineapple to create a cylinder.

Stand the cylinder on end and use your knife to cut down the side of the pineapple.

Rotate the pineapple continuing to cut off the outer layer.

Cut the pineapple in half through the center of the core.

Cut the half in half.

Stand the quarter on end and remove the core.

Cooks note: Fresh pineapple can be used in place of canned in almost any application, however do not use fresh pineapple in Jello as it will cause the gelatine not to set up. For this use, cook the pineapple until tender and allow it to cool before using.