National Pineapple Day

In a salad, in a drink, or on a pizza, there really is no place where pineapple can't be used. That's perfect, because today is National Pineapple Day, and we want to enjoy as much of it as possible!

Pineapple is native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Americas. The first written references to it are attributed to Christopher Columbus, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, who found it in the West Indies. Natives were not only eating pineapple at the time, but were also using it to make wine. The Europeans gave the fruit the name they did because it resembled pinecones.

The Portuguese helped spread it around the world. They brought it to the island of Saint Helena shortly after they arrived there in 1502. They then brought it to Africa, and then to India by 1550. By the seventeenth century, pineapple was growing in most tropical areas of the world. Today, the biggest producers of pineapple are Brazil, Costa Rica, China, India, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The pineapple fruit ripens in about 5 or 6 months after flowering starts, and it weighs between 2 and 4 pounds. Some of the main health benefits of pineapple are on account of bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme that is found in its core. Bromelain is anti-inflammatory, a digestive aid, a muscle relaxant, and a fighter of tumor cells. So there is no need to temper the amount of pineapple you eat today—it's good for you!

How to Observe National Pineapple Day

Before enjoying pineapple today, you may first want to learn how to properly cut it. You could get yourself a pineapple corer to make it even easier. Pineapple is so good that you could just stop there and eat it plain, but there are many delicious recipes it is used in that you could try as well. Here are some foods and drinks with pineapple that you could try:

• Piña Colada
• Pineapple wine
• Pineapple on pizza
• Fruit salad
• Ham with pineapple
• Pineapple upside-down cake

Did you think that pineapples are only used for eating? Think again. You can also use them to make jack-o-lanterns.

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