The Pineapple is Not Originally From Hawaii

We were eating a pineapple the other day and I started wondering if they originated in Hawaii or came from somewhere else, they came from somewhere else. Pineapples are a big part of the Hawaiian economy and the soil and climate are perfect for growing them, but they came from South America.

Paraguay and the southern part of Brazil is where the pineapple originated and was brought to Hawaii in 1813 by Don Francisco de Paula y Marin. Don Francisco was an expert grower of fruits and became an advisor to King Kamehameha during the period when the King was uniting the Hawaiian Islands under one ruler.

At the time the pineapple arrived in Hawaii it was known as ‘anana’, which means ‘excellent fruit’. European explorers called it the ‘Pines of the Indies’ and when the fruit made it to English speaking countries the word apple was added which gave us the English word ‘Pineapple’.

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