
Pineapple
A Global History
Kaori O'Connor(Author)
Reaktion Books (Publisher)
Published on 1. September 2013
Book
Hardback
160 pages
978-1-78023-179-2 (ISBN)
Description
'Too ravishing for mortal taste . . . like lovers' kisses she biteth - she is a pleasure bordering on pain, from fierceness and insanity of her relish', the poet Charles Lamb wrote of the pineapple, the fruit that seduced the world. From the moment Christopher Columbus encountered it in 1493, the pineapple became an object of desire: the first New World explorers thought it must be the fruit with which Eve tempted Adam.
The fruit was first transported to Europe, where it could only be grown at great expense in hothouses. The pineapple was the ultimate status symbol - London society hostesses would even pay extravagantly to rent a pineapple for a single evening to be the centrepiece of a party. Beloved by George Washington, a favourite of kings and aristocrats, the pineapple quickly achieved an elite status among fruits that it retains today. It remained a seasonal luxury for the rich until developments in shipping and refrigeration allowed it to be brought to the major markets in Europe and America. Today, canning processes - and the discovery of the pineapple's ideal home in Hawaii - have made it available and affordable throughout the year.
Packed with vivid illustrations and irresistible recipes from around the world, Pineapple follows the world's culinary romance with this exotic fruit.
The fruit was first transported to Europe, where it could only be grown at great expense in hothouses. The pineapple was the ultimate status symbol - London society hostesses would even pay extravagantly to rent a pineapple for a single evening to be the centrepiece of a party. Beloved by George Washington, a favourite of kings and aristocrats, the pineapple quickly achieved an elite status among fruits that it retains today. It remained a seasonal luxury for the rich until developments in shipping and refrigeration allowed it to be brought to the major markets in Europe and America. Today, canning processes - and the discovery of the pineapple's ideal home in Hawaii - have made it available and affordable throughout the year.
Packed with vivid illustrations and irresistible recipes from around the world, Pineapple follows the world's culinary romance with this exotic fruit.
Reviews / Votes
'Books in Reaktion's Edible series are paragons of their type; concise and flavourful, jammed with interesting facts, period photos and just a handful of recipes, in case you want to "do it yourself". I recommend these books to foodies and academics alike.' - Robert Sietsema, restaurant critic for The Village Voice 'Embellished with clever illustrations and a nice selection of historical and contemporary recipes ... [an] outstanding series of food volumes.' - Wall Street JournalMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
69 illustrations, 59 in colour
Dimensions
Height: 205 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
355 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78023-179-2 (9781780231792)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
09/2013
Reaktion Books
€11.99
Available for download
Person
Kaori O' Connor was an anthropologist at University College London, author of The English Breakfast (2013) and winner of the Sophie Coe Prize for Food History (2009).