Pine Apple Fruit Varities in

The World By

Allah Dad Khan

Pineapple

• The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a member of the Bromeliad family, beloved for its thick-skinned tropical fruits. The pineapple is believed to have been cultivated for thousands of years in the tropical Americas, and has been traded internationally since the early 19th century. As the pineapple's popularity has grown, dozens of cultivars have popped up, each displaying its own flavor and growth characteristics. Pineapples are roughly divided into four categories: Smooth Cayenne, Queen, Abacaxi and Red Spanish. Pineapples are tropical plants that generally do best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11.

Origin and Distribution

• Native to southern Brazil and Paraguay (perhaps especially the Parana-Paraguay River) area where wild relatives occur, the pineapple was apparently domesticated by the Indians and carried by them up through South and Central America to Mexico and the West Indies long before the arrival of Europeans. Christopher Columbus and his shipmates saw the pineapple for the first time on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493 and then again in Panama in 1502.

Smooth Cayenne“Pineapple

• Smooth Cayenne comes from Hawaii. Its yellow flesh has high sugar and acid content. Cayenne’s leaves are spineless and cylindrical. This variety weighs around 2.5 to 3 kg and is mainly used for canning.

Kew• It is a late-maturing variety and

is the leading commercial variety in India. It is valued particularly for it's canning quality. Fruit weighs 2-3kg, and is oblong in shape, slightly tapering towards the crown. Eyes are broad and shallow making fruits more suitable for canning. The fruit is yellow when fully ripe and flesh is light yellow, almost fibreless, and very juicy with 0.6-1.2% acid, 0 and its TSS content varies from 12-16 Brix.

"Abacaxi“Pineapple

• "Abacaxi" is a spiny, disease-resistant variety that produces tall pineapples marked by white, nearly translucent flesh that is tender, juicy and rich. Though considered one of the most delicious pineapple varieties, the plant, and its many varieties, ship poorly due to their fragility. "Sugarloaf," a variety with equally tender, rich flesh and a conical or round shape, is derived from "Abacaxi," and several strains have been developed from "Sugarloaf." "Sugarloaf" strains include "Black Jamaica" and "Montufar," a juicy, yellow-fruited variety.

"Queen“Pineapple

• This variety is grown in the Hluhluwe region of South Africa. Almost 90% of pineapples sold in the African market come from this region. Queen pineapples are less sweet, have a rich yellow flesh, crisp texture, mild flavor, and weigh up to 1.5 kg.

"Red Spanish“Pineapple

• The Red Spanish variety found in the countries of Central America can weigh up to 1 to 2 kgs. This variety is mainly used for export. It is pale yellow in color with a soothing fragrance and square shaped, hard spiky leaves.

'Bumanguesa', Pineapple

• of Venezuela and Colombia, is probably a mutation of 'Perolera'. The fruit is red or purple externally, cylindrical with square ends, shallow eyes, deep-yellow flesh, very slender core but has slips around the crown and too many basal slips to suit modern commercial requirements.

Ripley Pineapple• ' or 'Ripley Queen', ,grown in

Queensland, is a dwarf, compact plant with crimson tinge on leaves; takes 22 weeks from flowering to fruit maturity; is an irregular bearer. The fruit weighs 3 to 6 lbs (1.36-2.7 kg); is pale-copper externally; flesh is pale-yellow, non-fibrous, very sweet and rich. In Florida this cultivar tends to produce suckers without fruiting.

'Sugarloaf' Pineapple

• The Sugarloaf pineapple, also known as “Pan de Azucar,” has a white flesh and does not have any woodiness. It weighs around 2.3 to 2.7 kg, and is sweet and juicy. Sugarloaf pineapples are usually grown in Mexico and Venezuela. The plant grows up to 5 feet with a spread of 3 to 4 feet.

'Mauritius‘Pineapple• (also known as 'European

Pine', 'Malacca Queen', 'Red Ceylon' and 'Red Malacca') is one of the 2 leading pineapple cultivars in Malaya; also important in India and Ceylon. The leaves are dark green with broad red central stripe and red spines on the margins. The fruit is small, 3 to 5 lbs (1.36-2.25 kg), yellow externally; has a thin core and very sweet flesh. It is sold fresh and utilized for juice.

Jaldhup and Lakhat • These are two local types, both

being named after the places of their maximum production. The varieties are cultivated for table as well as processing purpose. Both fall in Queen group of fruits, being smaller than 'Queen'. Jaldhup has its sweetness well blended with acidity. Fruits of Jaldhup have a characteristic alcoholic flavour of their own and can be easily distinguished from other fruits of the Queen group.

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