Pineapple, also known as the “King of Fruits” owes its discovery to Christopher Columbus. It is believed that he was on his second voyage in 1493 on the Guadeloupe Islands in the Caribbean when he discovered the fruit. According to historians, the fruit had already been well known in South America at that time but the discovery made it famous as one of the most exotic looking and highly prized fruits in the world. It was no less than a luxury as people fell over its exotic appearance. Back then, in colonial America, pineapples began to symbolize hospitality.

Pineapple is a tropical perennial herb with multiple fruits. It is a member of the Bromeliaceae family and is commercially cultivated in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. It is believed to have originated between the land of Paraguay and South America. From here it reached the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and the rest of the world.

Pineapples are cultivated from the offset which is produced at the top of its fruit. The fruit takes around five to ten months for flowering and it bears fruits in the six months that follow.

Pineapple fruit finds a multitude of uses in the ayurvedic and traditional medicines. The vitamins and minerals present in pineapple make it an excellent health booster. It is loaded with fiber, carbohydrates and a digestion enhancing enzyme known as bromalin. Furthermore, it is a natural antioxidant food, which means that it can help you fight diseases and age gracefully and who doesn't want to stay young and disease free.

Some basic facts about Pineapple:

• Scientific Name: Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.
• Family: Bromeliaceae
• Common Name: Pineapple, Ananas 
• Sanskrit name: अनानसफलम, anānasaphalam
• Parts used: Fruit, leaves
• Native Region and Geographical Distribution:  Pineapples come from South America indigenously. Top cultivators of this fruit are Costa Rica, Brazil, Philippines, China, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria, Indonesia, Mexico and Columbia. In 2016, Costa Rica, Brazil and the Philippines alone were responsible for producing one-third of the world’s crop.
• Fun fact: In English, the word "pineapple" was first recorded to describe the reproductive organs of the conifer trees which are now called pine cones. The European explorers had encountered this tropical fruit in America when they started calling them "pineapples".

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