[Sca-cooks] Pineapple

[Stefan li Rous]

Giles asked:
> Does anyone know when pineapple was introduced into Europe? I have in one
> of my books a painting of a gardener presenting a shrivelled specimen grown
> in England to Charles II, but no other info else. Were pineapples known in
> Europe before 1600? If so, how were they used (as a fruit, a sweet, a
> garnish, a flotation device)?

Possibly as early 1493, to Spain.
See this file in the FOOD-FRUIT section of the Florilegium:

pineapples-msg    (12K)  5/21/02    Pineapples and their introduction to Europe.

http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-FRUITS/pineapples-msg.html

While some New World foods took a while to catch on, apparently the
pineapple was accepted very quickly.

Originally, the term "pineapple" was also used as the term for the
cone/fruit of the pine tree.
--
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris            Austin, Texas         StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****