An apple that grows on pines?

Have you ever wondered why are pineapples called so? What prompted people to call a pineapple this way and not something else?

Obviously, there must be a reason behind this name, though at first sight it could be misleading. In fact, there is no resemblance at all of a pineapple to an apple nor the pineapple is an apple that grows on pines. Then, let´s go back in history to understand this choice.

In 1493, when Christopher Columbus returned to Spain from his voyage to the Caribbean, he brought the pineapple with him to give it to Queen Isabella. The fruit was new in Spain, so at first they named it “Pine of the Indies” due to its abrasive, segmented exterior, which resembled a pine cone.

After, the pineapple spread to England and the English realized that the fruit had a firm interior pulp like an apple and that tasted like a fresh green one as well, so the name “pineapple” is a mixture of the Spanish name “pine” and the English one “apple”.

Another curious thing about this name is that, though the English took the Spanish label “pine” and combined it with their own one, we didn´t take “apple” and use just our word.

Finally, the next time you see a friend drinking a pineapple juice, you can surprise him or her by telling the origin of this fruit's name.

Hope you enjoyed it!