Arose by any other name would smell just as sweet. Similarly, a pineapple by any other name would still taste like pineapple. But what if the pineapple tastes like coconut? According to an AFP report, researchers from Australia's Department of Agriculture in Queensland are in the final stages of developing a new variety of pineapple which has the taste of coconut. The new variety, to be known as the AusFestival pineapple, is reportedly sweet and very juicy.
used in flower arrangements or simply put in a tray, these decorative pineapples last for several weeks.
I happen to share the same house with a former Kasetsart University professor who did years of research on Ananas comosus, or pineapple, so I know how long it takes to crossbreed various cultivars, grow the seeds produced by the union of each pair of parent plants, select the best among the seedlings and then, when these seedlings have grown and bear fruit, once again select the hybrids with desirable qualities. If necessary, the process is repeated, this time using these hybrids as parent plants, until the desired qualities are achieved.
ML Charuphant Thongtham's pineapple research focused on cross-breeding wild foreign species with local cultivars to develop plants more resistant to drought and disease, as well as cross-breeding local cultivars to find the right fruit size and texture for the canning industry; develop fruit with a better aroma, colour and flavour for the fresh fruit market; and produce leaves with less or no spines. Crossing the "Batavia" (better known as "smooth cayenne") cultivar widely planted in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Rayong with the "Phuket" cultivar, for example, has developed a variety that has the desirable qualities of both parent plants _ sweet and juicy with shallow eyes and thin skin like the smooth cayenne, and the aroma, crunchiness, fibre and high vitamin C content of the Phuket cultivar. However, the new variety still has spiny leaves like the latter parent plant.
ML Charuphant also developed decorative pineapples with small bright red, maroon, orange and yellow fruits. Used in flower arrangements, or simply put in a tray or basket, the fruits last for several weeks.
MADE IN SHADES: ‘Ananas bracteatus var tricolor’ is a colourful variation of pineapple.
After many years of being grown continuously, a cultivar will tend to bear inferior fruit. Continued research to develop new and improved varieties is therefore necessary to prevent genetic erosion. However, I am wondering if making pineapple taste like coconut can be regarded as a form of genetic erosion, as the pineapple has lost its inherent flavour. As a friend said, "If I want to eat pineapple, why would I eat one that tastes like coconut?"
The new Australian variety may appeal to people in countries where there are no coconuts, but for those who know the difference between the two fruits, pineapple is pineapple and coconut is coconut, and never the twain shall meet. It is like the scentless durian developed some years ago: It may appeal to foreigners who find the smell of ripe durian repulsive, or gain the fruit entry into hotels and airplanes, but for durian aficionados, a durian is not a durian without its characteristic smell.
The pineapple fruit is not just one fruit. It is a fusion of several fruits that developed from individual flowers. The "eyes" are remnants of the flower parts, and the number of eyes represents the number of fruits fused together to produce the whole pineapple fruit as we know it.
Analysis found the pineapple to be low in fat and choresterol and rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system, and manganese, for the development of strong bones and connective tissue. It contains a protein-digesting enzyme, bromelain, which aids in digestion and relieves painful joints due to osteoarthritis. Also rich in beta carotene, pineapple is said to reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
The pineapple is one of the easiest of plants to grow, and you can cultivate a love of gardening in your children by letting them plant the crown of leaves on top of the fruit. First, slice the crown off the fruit and remove all the flesh to keep the plant from rotting. Strip off the lower leaves, then let the cut end heal in a dry, shady place. When the cut is dry, in about a week, pot the plant using a mixture of sandy loam and coarsely chopped coconut husk. Put the plant in partial shade, then gradually put it in full sun once it is established. Keep the soil moist by watering every two or three days. Apply a fertiliser high in nitrogen for vigorous growth every two months, and switch to one high in potassium when the plant is big enough to bear flowers, in about 10 months.
A pineapple plant can be forced to flower by putting it in a clear plastic bag with a bunch of half-ripe bananas. Close the bag tightly to trap the ethylene released by the bananas. The ethylene will trigger flowering in the pineapple, which will absorb the gas through small openings called stomata under its leaves. Remove the bananas when they are fully ripe. The pineapple fruit is ready to harvest six months after flowering.
Pineapple is the most well known among plants in the Bromeliaceae family. Most people do not know what bromeliads are, but everyone knows the pineapple. Consequently bromeliads are often called pineapple plants, or sapparot see in Thai. Once you have successfully grown a pineapple, you will be ready to grow its colourful variations, such as Ananas comosus var variegatus or Ananas bracteatus var tricolor. As their names imply, these species of bromeliads have variegated leaves and leaves with three colours (red, cream and green), respectively.
Email nthongtham@gmail.com.
Researchers in Australia are developing a pineapple that tastes like coconut.
