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The Story Behind the Pineapple
Some historians believe this custom was first introduced in Europe by wealthy travelers returning from the New World who found pineapples hung outside the entrances to Caribbean villages. They were greeted warmly by the native people and believed the pineapple to be a sign of welcome. Others claim a pineapple was placed on the home gates of sea captains to alert the townsfolk of their safe return from the tropics. It served as an invitation by the family to stop by for refreshments and hear tales of the captain’s time at sea.
In 1770, prior to the Revolutionary War, the pricey pineapple played the role of peacemaker. Government officials utilized pineapples at banquets to keep business relations strong between the colonies planter class & the British Crown. The pineapple was meant to bridge the growing gap between the motherland and her subjects during a period of uneasy peace. After the war, Southern planters saw the pineapple as a cash crop opportunity & the pineapple became a symbol of the newly-minted United States of America, an attainable figure of welcome, individuality and fierce independence.
And so... The pineapple was no longer a frivolous exhibit of wealth possessed by a small minority, but an accessible gesture of neighborliness and unconditional hospitality. As it still is today.
Adapted Excerpt from Beth McKibben Southern Kitchen
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