1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: From its origins in indigenous South America to its rise 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: as a global symbol of wealth and migration. This week, 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: Even and I explore the history of the pineapple. My 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: name is Evil Longoria and I am My de Remez 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: Racon and welcome to Hungry for History, a podcast that 6 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: explores our past and present through food. On every episode, 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: we'll talk about the history of some of our favorite dishes, ingredients, 8 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: and beverages from our culture. 9 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: So make yourself at home. Even I love pineapple. 10 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 1: It's such an unusual fruit, right. It has a sprigy 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: in tear exterior, which is kind of menacing. It looks 12 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: like it's wearing armor. You can't bite into it, but 13 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: when you cut it, the fruit is so sweet and 14 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: just juicy and just so delicious. A ripe pineapple is like. 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 2: Is nothing better? Nothing better? 16 00:00:59,720 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: I mean? 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 3: And for centuries in Europe, you know, it was referred 18 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 3: to as the King of Fruits because it because it 19 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 3: wore a crown. So for them it was like it 20 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 3: was it was way more than just fruit. It was 21 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 3: like power, prestige. It was a luxury that everyone wanted 22 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 3: a piece of. Yes, but why do they look the 23 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 3: way they do and how did we first start eating them? 24 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 3: Because if I saw that, if I was a caveman 25 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 3: or a cave woman and I stumbled upon a pineapple, 26 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 3: they grow on trees, right. 27 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: It's a plant. It grows from the ground. 28 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 2: Up, a ground plant. 29 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a low like sturdy plant. So most fruit 30 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: grows on trees or brushes. I saw one for the 31 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: first time just a couple of years ago. 32 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 3: So like, if I was a caveman or cave woman 33 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 3: and I stumbled upon this on the ground, I would 34 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 3: not pick it up, and I would not put it 35 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 3: in my mouth because it looks so intimidating. 36 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: It's true, I'm the same. I wouldn't I wouldn't think 37 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: that it was edible. Yeah, I would just keep walking. 38 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: So the pineapple plant, and it has the it's like 39 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: these long, almost sword shaped leaves with really sharp edges, 40 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: and there are range in this rosette shape close to 41 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,399 Speaker 1: the ground, almost like in a gave kind of. It's 42 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: kind of like these leaves that kind of pull up, 43 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: and then the pineapple grows in the center it starts 44 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: to develop. So what's super interesting is the pineapple fruit 45 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: itself is actually a cluster of many tiny berries that 46 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: are fused together, so you know how they look like 47 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: they have like little eyes or bumps. So each of 48 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: these eyes or bumps on the pineapple surface is a 49 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: tiny fruit from a single flower that has merged with 50 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: its neighbors. So the fusion gives it this unique look 51 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: like little segments, and these spicy scales around it protect it, right. 52 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: They guard the pineapple from pests or animals, and which 53 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: is why people like you and me don't think that 54 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: it's edible, because it's so hard and it makes it 55 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: harder to chew it when the fruit is still growing, 56 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: so it really protects it. It's like nature is perfect. 57 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: It takes about eighteen to twenty four months for a 58 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: pineapple to fully mature. It's a very patient crop. It 59 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: needs hot, humid conditions to grow, and they reproduce mostly 60 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 1: a sexually. Farmers can replant the crown of the pineapple 61 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: and this grows a whole new pineapple genetically identical to 62 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: the parent. 63 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 3: They are all pretty homogenous. Like if you look at 64 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 3: a tomato, it could be this, it can be that you. 65 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 4: Oh. 66 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: If you look at a squash, it could be big, 67 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 2: it could be la la la lah. 68 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 3: But like a pineapple, does feel like it's genetically identical 69 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 3: to do a session. 70 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, especially the ones that we get here at the store. 71 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: And we'll talk about those shapes a little bit later 72 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: in the episode. 73 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 3: Okay, So where is the pineapple endemic too? Like where 74 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 3: where is it from? Where did it grow first? And 75 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 3: then where do we where do we end up cultivating it? 76 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: So it first grew in modern day Brazil Paraguay, who's 77 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: just been domesticated in the Amazon for about four thousand years, 78 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: alongside cassava, and it was essential to the diet. So 79 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: pineapple cultivation spread into Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean 80 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: by indigenous trade networks like well you know before the conquest. 81 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: So in Brazil and Paraguay among the Doupi what I 82 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: need people, it was a food and it was also 83 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: fermented to make an alcohol and also the fibers of 84 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: the plant were used to make bowstrings, to make thread 85 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: for cloth, to make ropes. And the Caribbean, the Daino 86 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: people use the fruit as offering to their spiritual beatings 87 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: to ensure good harvest and good health. And Mesoamerica it 88 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: was also a ritual fruit I mean not like corn, right, 89 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: but it supported it had supporting roles and ceremonies and feasts, 90 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,600 Speaker 1: and the maya Anastic people celebrated the gifts of nature 91 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: with offerings that included local fruits, and some of these 92 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: fruits were or the pineapple. And Mexico today is one 93 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: of the world's top pineapple producers. So it is a 94 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: native fruit native to the Americas. 95 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 3: Wow, so it makes sense today that Mexico's the world's 96 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 3: top pineapple producer. 97 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 2: So there's so many dishes in. 98 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 3: Latin America with pineapple, tacosal pastor, I cannot have without pineapple. 99 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: We are at Leos Tacos and the corner of Western 100 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: and Sunset in the heart of Hollywood. I'm with Bill Esparsa, 101 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: my buddy, then my favorite tacle crawl partner. We just 102 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: had some tacosa pastor and the tortaauayana with pineapple. It's 103 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: interesting that we're we're here in this corner a heart 104 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 1: of la the city of immigrants, with a truck run 105 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: by immigrants, eating at tacco that was created in Mexico 106 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: by lebones. Immigrants adapted, you know, just using local ingredients. 107 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: And you did a full dagau pastor. 108 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 4: The article, Yeah, I did the opinionated al pastor for 109 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 4: eater of the best al pastor in Los Angeles. But 110 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 4: also it's notable when talking about immigrants that taco leos 111 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 4: tacos is an indigenous own chain of Miche people talk 112 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 4: about immigrants, they've been bringing takeros from Mexico City, and 113 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 4: they're all Wahakian, indigenous mek people. 114 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: When does the pineapple come in? 115 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 4: See, the pineapple is part of Mexican culture already, right, 116 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 4: and going back to the Maya. Even before the Maya 117 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 4: people were using pineapple, it had been cultivated. The Mexica, 118 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 4: what we call the Aztec Empire had pineapple and there 119 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 4: in their cuisine. 120 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: So you know, the whole thing about. 121 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,679 Speaker 4: The the Lebanese there, there's a big leap that's made 122 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 4: about this influence. And they definitely brought the vertical spit, 123 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 4: but they didn't bring roasting, they didn't bring tacos, they 124 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 4: didn't bring adobo. So I feel like a lot of 125 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 4: this story is kind of one sided. I mean, we 126 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 4: can't really find evidence of this other than some Lebanese immigrants, 127 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 4: children of Lebanese immigrants had started some of these takadias. 128 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 2: But Abo Goes is. 129 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: An indigenous technique. 130 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 4: Eating tacos is indigenous pineapple in the taco is indigenous salsa. 131 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 4: So it's a Mexican dish that is using a vertical 132 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 4: spit and it's a great visual, right, everybody gets excited 133 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 4: about a trumpo, So that definitely is something that came 134 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 4: from the Middle East. And they didn't have limes, the 135 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 4: indigenous people of Mexico, so their acid would have been 136 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 4: pineapple and other fruits. You know, we always talk about this, Oh, 137 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 4: limes came to Mexico and changed the cooking that didn't 138 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 4: There was already acid. There was always so much already there, 139 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 4: and they would have used acid from all kinds of fruit, 140 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 4: but obviously pineapple is a pretty high acid compared to 141 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 4: other fruit. So it would have been in Marinades, it 142 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 4: would have been in Guisabus, and so you know, all 143 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 4: kinds of preparations. Al pastor is a modern, you know, 144 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 4: twentieth century that go from Mexico City and Puebla and Yucatan, 145 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 4: but the history of the pineapple goes back to indigenous. 146 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 1: Cultures thousands, thousands of years, yeah years, So it's an 147 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: adaptation and now we're here in this super busy corner 148 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: of la with these immigrants. I didn't even know they 149 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: were Miche so wahaka there. It's not even a tackle 150 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: that's native to that this particular one that's even native 151 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: to that area. I feel like the through line this 152 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: season has just been about how we're all connected. Like 153 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: here we are sitting in the middle of la. 154 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,199 Speaker 4: So this is my neighborhood. I'm blocks away from here. 155 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 4: So for me, when Leo showed up here, I'm like, 156 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:01,679 Speaker 4: oh my god, that's great. It's and this is the 157 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 4: perfect spot on the way home, coming home late and like, Okay, 158 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 4: I'm going to hit Laos on the way home. Even 159 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 4: on nights. There were nights after the first raids. I 160 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 4: remember coming home from South Central and seeing all these 161 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 4: stuchados that had gone or abandoned their stand or didn't 162 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 4: even set up. And I came home that night and 163 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 4: Leos kind of gave me some comfort that they were here, 164 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 4: that they were safe, that there were people out, And 165 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 4: that was how I kind of dealt with that first evening, 166 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 4: you know, the first week, first weeks of the raids, 167 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 4: and they've been steady ever since, you know, but this 168 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 4: is part of Hollywood, this kind of bridge between Hollywood 169 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 4: and East Hollywood and indigenous people selling tacos is what 170 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 4: makes this place livable. 171 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: And I just should add that were a block away 172 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:57,319 Speaker 1: from the home depot, which is full of the day laborers. 173 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 4: No, there's an amazing connection between this parking lot of 174 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 4: Mickey indigenous people and what are likely Maya people from 175 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:11,719 Speaker 4: Watemala that are the Orneleros day laborers. You know, So 176 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 4: this like indigenous area, indigenous people on indigenous land. 177 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:17,959 Speaker 1: Yes, thank you so much. 178 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 3: Bill. 179 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: It's always always a pleasure, always fun, always in lighting. 180 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 4: I love being on. 181 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: Let's do it again, Let's do it again, always, I 182 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:32,439 Speaker 1: love it. Thank you. When the pineapple first sailed into Europe, 183 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: it wasn't just a fruit. It was a showstopper, the 184 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: ultimate symbol of luxury that turned every royal table into 185 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: a stage. Discover how this tropical treasure became the bell 186 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: of the ball. That's after the break. 187 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 3: So what was the European perception of the pineapple? 188 00:10:55,559 --> 00:11:00,719 Speaker 1: They absolutely flipped out because it was in a good way, 189 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: in a good way, Yes, in a good way. So 190 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: there's this man, Gonzalez fernandezo vie Ri Valdez. He was 191 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: a sixteenth century Spanish chronicle in history, and he wrote 192 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:15,079 Speaker 1: about the pineapple. And he wrote this work in fifteen 193 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 1: thirty five, the General History of the Indies, and he 194 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: described the pineapples. It was the first European description of 195 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: the pineapple, and it highlighted sort of the abundance of 196 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: the new world and its riches. And he talks about 197 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: how this is one of the most beautiful fruits I 198 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 1: have seen. Werever in the world, not even in Spain, 199 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: or in France, or in England or German. You're Italy, 200 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 1: not even in Sicily. It's this beautiful. It's composition, its adornment, 201 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: the way that it's planted. And he says that it's 202 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: rejoicing the other sentence by a fragrance, and it's it's 203 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: like a mixture of quints and pete and a delicate apple. 204 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: It's so delicious that it seems to be the work 205 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: of angels. That this is the first observation of a 206 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: pine It seems to be the work of angel that's 207 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 1: out of this world. I love this. And that book 208 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: actually has the first illustration of a pineapple in you know, 209 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: printed illustration of a pineapple. People just sort of flipped 210 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: out and even Columbus brought the fruit, and this lone 211 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: pineapple that survived the trip was presented to King Ferdinand 212 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: and Queen Isabella, and it was like, you know, wow, 213 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: it was so incredible. Everybody wanted it. The Dutch, the Spanish, 214 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: the French explorers like everybody you know, thought that it 215 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: was excelled all over fruits. But it was very rare 216 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: in Europe. It needs hot, humid conditions to grow, and 217 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: Europe doesn't naturally have these. 218 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, more tropical environment. 219 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: And there's no tropical environment, so the Dutch got the 220 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: upper hand. There's a woman named Agnes Block in sixteen 221 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: eighty seven, she with the help of these brand new greenhouses, 222 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: she was able to perfect a climate control and grow 223 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:55,439 Speaker 1: a single pineapple. 224 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 2: So smart of course a woman figured it out. 225 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: She was a trailblazer and from there sort of growing 226 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: a pineapple became the ultimate symbol of status among the 227 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: aristocracy because they were so expensive they were difficult to cultivate. 228 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:16,679 Speaker 1: Owning a pineapple meant you had wealth, power and dominance. Wow, 229 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 1: so it wasn't just a fruit. It was a statement. 230 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 3: A statement. See, I have them all the time in 231 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 3: my house, so maybe that's saying something. 232 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: They're so good, there's so good. 233 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 3: And then what happened with so Louis the fourteenth must 234 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 3: be involved somewhere. Always pineapple, right, he was such a foodie, Like, 235 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 3: what did he have to do with the pineapple? He 236 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 3: obviously if it was a status symbol that he had 237 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 3: many pineapples. 238 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: Well, this whole idea of the greenhouse as the status symbol. 239 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: So in the early sixteen hundreds he launched this project. 240 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: He assembled an army of architects and engineers and artists 241 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:59,479 Speaker 1: and gardeners to build a royal kitchen garden, the Potage. 242 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: And this had a glass heated greenhouse designed to grow 243 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: fruits and vegetables out of season. And it was a 244 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: bold display of power and symbol of France's triumphs over 245 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: the colonies. And so at this time, the pineapple reigned supreme. 246 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: And you know, it was hard. They were hard to grow. 247 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: So at the beginning they used to carve pineapples. They 248 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: used to make little sugar sculptures shaped like pineapples to 249 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: use s center pieces to sort of dazzle guests at 250 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: royal banquets. You know, with the pineapples that came from 251 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:43,479 Speaker 1: the colonies, they started making ice creams and sorbets. Sorbets 252 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: and versiety became really known for this. 253 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 3: The pineapple also became a fashion statement, affected everything from 254 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 3: porcelain to. 255 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: Architecture to textiles. 256 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 3: Elaborate hair styles worn at the court, like a tiny 257 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 3: pineapple or a pineapp inspired decoration perched in your hair 258 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 3: said I'm connected. 259 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 2: To the world. 260 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 3: I have well them at the top of society, like 261 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 3: I would not be putting a pineapple on my head. 262 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: Maybe you should now a little pineapple p So this 263 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: is the thing. It was like, wow, wow, wow. And 264 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: if you couldn't grow a pineapple or get a pineapple 265 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: because they were so expensive to get from you know, 266 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: from the New World, you could actually rent a pineapple. 267 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: So there were pineapple rentals, so you would have them. 268 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: You would rent it, take it back, and then it 269 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: would go back and back. So it was you would 270 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: put it as a tabletop decoration, this pineapple, and renting 271 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: a single pineapple would cost the equivalent of about eight 272 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: thousand dollars today. 273 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 2: Wow, that is crazy. 274 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 3: But they do last a long time, so that does 275 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 3: make sense because they don't go bad and when even 276 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 3: when they go bad, you can't really see it. 277 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 2: You know what I mean. 278 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 3: It doesn't like it's not like a tomato that just 279 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 3: gets moled and withers away. 280 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's true. It's true. But then again, if 281 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: it's coming actually to that point, if it's coming on 282 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: a ship from the Caribbean and it's making its way 283 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: to France, that's a long time. Doesn't last that long. 284 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: So by the time that you were renting your pineapple, 285 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: it probably smelled a little bit. You maybe had little 286 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: bugs flying around it. 287 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 2: I'm sure, I'm sure. 288 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 3: Well, let me tell you this is a very important 289 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 3: question my day because I have a very strong opinion 290 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 3: about this. 291 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 2: Do you put pineapple on your pizza? 292 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: Ah? 293 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 3: Because when we come back, I'm going to tell you 294 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 3: who started this sweet cheese craze. 295 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 2: So don't go anywhere. 296 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 3: Pineapple on pizza is called a Hawaiian pizza, right, I mean, 297 00:16:58,760 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 3: is that what it's called? 298 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: Like Hawaiian him pizza? Yeah? 299 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 2: So how did the pineapple get all the way to Hawaii? 300 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: So the first pineapple made its way to Hawaii around 301 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:13,439 Speaker 1: eighteen thirteen, so pretty late, so likely by European traders. 302 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 1: It was then the Kingdom of Hawaii, and it was 303 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: first mainly grown in home gardens and small farms, and 304 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: it was enjoyed by local Hawaiians. We see the first 305 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,159 Speaker 1: small scale pineapple plantations starting around eighteen eighties, and then 306 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: in eighteen ninety eight Hawaii became an American colony, and 307 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: in nineteen hundred James Dole the Pineapple Gang. He was 308 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 1: at recent Harvard graduate. He founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company 309 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: on Wahu and three years later he built a cannery 310 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: and he began exporting canned pineapples to the US. To 311 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: the mainland US. He developed this machine called the Ganaka 312 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: machine that could peel and core thousands of pineapples every hour. 313 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: Have you been to Hawaii to the Doll, to the 314 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: Dole No, I think, but I haven't been to the 315 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:07,160 Speaker 1: Doll No, Yes, the Dole farm. And you didn't see 316 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: a pineapple growing there? 317 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 2: Yes? I did, now that. 318 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: That's right there to you. 319 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 2: It's all the fact that they're bushes. It's like a bush. 320 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: Uh huh. 321 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 2: It's not like on the ground. It's like a bush. 322 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 3: It's like a little almost like in a gave right, Yes, exactly, 323 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 3: looks like a big like that's how tall it gets. 324 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 2: That's as tall as it gets. Yes, I have seen them. 325 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 3: Oh my god, I can't believe you just reminded me 326 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 3: they got the heart of the agave looks like a pineapple. 327 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 2: Yes, they call it. It's true. 328 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,880 Speaker 1: And they call it the ba they call it. Yeah, 329 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: they call it me and and it was Actually it's 330 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: called beania and Spanish and pineapple in in English. Because 331 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: it looked like a pine cone. When they first saw it, 332 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 1: they were like, oh, it looks like a pine cone. 333 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 1: Looks like a pina that's where the ur word comes. 334 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,400 Speaker 1: But apple because it's sweet. It's not like a pine cone. 335 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: How do you feel that pineapple upside down cake? 336 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 3: Love ull the pineapple upside down cake. So my aunt 337 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 3: used to make it, and I just thought it was 338 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 3: the most heavenly thing in the world. 339 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: It feels very kind of old fashioned, right, I haven't 340 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: had it in forever, But it's like pineapple with a 341 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: yellow cake. Yellow okay, with yellow cake. Our roads lead to. 342 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 3: Yellow gans, Yes, all roads lead to yellow cake. 343 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 2: That should be our other podcast. 344 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: That's true. Yeah. So in nineteen twenty five, the Hawaii 345 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 1: Pineapple Company sponsored a contest to promote canned pineapple, and 346 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: they received sixty thousand recipes and more than twenty five 347 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: one hundred of them were for pineapple upside down cake, 348 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: and so he promoted the recipes nationally and it became 349 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:49,640 Speaker 1: a classic American staple. 350 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 2: Wow. 351 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 3: But you know what, last time I was in Hawaii, 352 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 3: the dole plant wasn't active or something. 353 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 2: It was something. 354 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: Oh, pineapple production in Hawaii has to client because of 355 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: cheap labor abroad. So major producers Indonesia, Philippines, Costa Rica, 356 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,679 Speaker 1: and also, you know, advances in refrigeration made fresh and 357 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: kind of pineapples more accessible worldwide. So let's go back 358 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: to the Hawaiian pizza. 359 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:17,880 Speaker 2: Yes back. 360 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 3: How do you feel the most important question of this episode? 361 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 3: I do know like pineapple pizza. I think it's a 362 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 3: bad gombo, it's weird. 363 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: Pineapple pizza is super weird. I agree. It was actually 364 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:36,159 Speaker 1: invented in Canada a man named Sam Panopolis. He was 365 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: a Greek born Canadian restaurateur in Ontario, Canada, and he 366 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: and his brothers ran an American style diner that saved 367 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: burgers and fries and Chinese food, and pizza was just 368 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: starting to gain popularity in North America. This was in 369 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,479 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties and they began experimenting with toppings and 370 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 1: so canned pineapple was super popular at the time, so 371 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 1: they created this pizza with adding canned pineapple and ham 372 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,719 Speaker 1: to pizza and named it Hawaiian after the brand of 373 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 1: canned pineapples that they use. So the Hawaiian Pizza was 374 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: invented by a Greek Canadian who ran an American diner 375 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 1: that served burgers and Chinese food. 376 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 2: Yay, if you love it, fine, well don't forget. 377 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 3: Leave us a message and tell us if you like 378 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 3: pineapple on your. 379 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: Pizza or what your favorite ways are to eat pineapple. 380 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: We love hearing from you. Bye, thanks for the day. 381 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 2: Run by. 382 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 3: Hungary for History is a hyphen media production in partnership 383 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,719 Speaker 3: with Iheart's Michael Tura podcast network. 384 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: For more of your favorite shows, visit the iHeartRadio app, 385 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:59,119 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.