Ah, the pineapple – that sweet and spiky fruit that graces everything from our pizzas to our pina coladas. But have you ever wondered how the pineapple came to London?
Well, let me take you on a journey through time and space to uncover the fascinating story of this tropical treat.
Pineapples are native to South America, specifically the region that now includes Brazil and Paraguay. They were first domesticated by indigenous peoples in these areas, who cultivated the fruit for both its sweet taste and its medicinal properties: early explorers reported native communities using pineapple poultices to reduce inflammation in wounds and other skin injuries.
When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in the late 15th century, he and his crew were probably the first Europeans to taste pineapples. They were immediately taken with their unique flavour and appearance. They brought pineapples back to Europe, but organising proper trade wasn’t easy.
Sailing ships were slow, and in the humid and hot climate of these tropical regions, cargoes of pineapples had often rotten before they reached British shores. Only the speediest ships and most fortuitous weather conditions could deliver ripe, wholesome pineapples to the confectionery shops of European cities. It took quite some time before pineapples began to be seen in London.
Later, pineapples started to be grown in a few hothouses in England and the Netherlands, but they remained a luxury reserved for the richest members of society.
Only the incredibly wealthy could afford the decadent price of a pineapple : somewhere between £5000 and £8000 in today’s money!
‘King Pine’: Pineapples As Symbols Of Power
Many famous people from that time adored the fruit: King Charles II, Empress Catherine the Great, King Louis XIV and King Ferdinand of Spain, to name but a few, and pineapples came to symbolise luxury and opulence, but also power.
King Charles II christened the pineapple “King Pine” and commissioned a painting of himself being presented it by his royal gardener: an early form of the food selfie I guess!
In 1668, Charles ordered a pineapple from Barbados to be put atop a fruit pyramid during a tense visit of the French Ambassador, over the partition of the islands now known as Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Charles II presented the pineapple as the central feature of the negotiation table. He then proceeded to cut it up and eat it. In doing so, Charles II wanted to intimidate the French Ambassador, and assert the reach of England’s global power.
Pineapples As Symbols Of Hospitality:
An Expensive Luxury
The very concept of pineapples equating to hospitality, in fact, comes from these Caribbean trips, according to the World Encyclopedia of Food. Imperial travelers who went to these remote islands discovered that natives who hung the fruit in front of their entrances were welcoming to strangers.
Later on, sailors would bring home the pineapple and display it on their porch, meaning they were home and welcomed visitors. The pineapple became a symbol of friendship.
Another contributing factor to the popularity of the pineapple was the general lack of sweetness in the diet of the population at that time. Cane sugar was expensive too, and even with British seasonal fruits, people would rarely have tasted anything so sweet.
The European bastardization of the symbol, however, led to pineapple meaning more than just hospitality – it meant prestige. The richest of the rich bought these fruits – however expensive – to show off… Pineapples were not just food – they were a status symbol, a sign of wealth and luxury.
Pineapple rental shops even sprung up across the country : Before selling them for consumption, pineapple merchants would rent them to people who couldn’t afford to purchase them, and some people even started to carry pineapples under their arm as a sign of status!
People would display their pineapple at parties and social events, just to show off their (fake) wealth and good taste, signaling to guests that no expense had been spared in welcoming them.
Of course they had to go to great lengths to conceal the fact that the pineapple that was the visual apogee of their table display and a central topic of their guests’ conversation was only rented, and to prevent guests to actually try to start nibbling at it!
Pineapple became the ultimate exotic fruit, the crown to the most important feasts, often held aloft on special pedestals.
In response, ceramics companies began to manufacture pineapple stands and pedestals. These devices enabled the pineapple to be slotted into a central hole, with slices of other fruits laid around the edge to serve to guests. Catalogues of the period are filled with unique designs for consumers to browse.
Many still lifes were also commissioned by owners keen to flaunt their pineapples.
Such was their symbolic worth that maids who transported them were deemed at great risk of being accosted by thieves.
In 1807, there were several court cases for pineapple theft at the Old Bailey, the most notorious being that of Mr Godding, who was sentenced to seven years’ transportation to Australia for stealing seven pineapples.
The pineapple lost its social cachet in the mid-Victorian era, when steamships began to import them regularly from the colonies. This decreased their price significantly and opened up their consumption to the working classes. Inevitably, the upper classes sought a new food to distinguish themselves from the “masses”. The answer? Celery.
Pineapples In Decoration And Architecture
Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, artists depicted pineapples to symbolize hospitality and generosity. Napkins, tablecloths, wallpaper, and even bedposts were decorated with drawings and carvings of pineapples in order to make guests feel welcome. If people couldn’t afford to buy or rent the real fruit, they bought porcelain dishes and teapots in the shape of a pineapple, which became hugely popular starting in the 1760s.
Pineapples became a popular decorative motif in English architecture, too: They appeared on everything from door knockers and gateposts to weathervanes and finials.
They were used in a variety of architectural styles, from Georgian and Victorian to Colonial and Gothic Revival, leaving a lasting mark on the landscape, and restoring the original sense of “welcome, good cheer, warmth and celebration”.
In some cases, entire buildings were designed to resemble pineapples, with domes or cupolas that resembled the fruit’s distinctive shape.
ok it’s in Scotland and not in London, but it’s very spectacular nonetheless:
Am I the only one to see more an elongated pineapple than a Gherkin here?
The celebrated architect Christopher Wren placed gilded copper pineapples on St. Paul’s Cathedral in London:
The Old Deanery, near St Paul’s:
Lambeth Bridge:
Violet Villa, Putney:
Marylebone, somewhere near Harley Street:
National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
Middle Temple:
Helene
