PINEAPPLES - The stingers
- The Edible Science
- Apr 11, 2021
- 2 min read
Pineapples, a mix of sweet and tangy flavours have definitely amped up their rise in the culinary world. Its flavour is well relished in mocktails as well as food recipes such as meats. The smell and juicy appeal of the pineapple draws one towards it.
This tropical fruit can be traced back to South America. Later, it was renamed the pineapple by Europeans, due to the analogy to the pinecone. It reached England only in the 1600s, and people became obsessed with it by the 1700s. One pineapple would have cost around 5000 pounds that time, which was a pretty huge amount. This could be since the cultivation of pineapples was difficult and quite expensive. People soon became concerned that eating such an expensive product would be like wasting money, and thus pineapples soon earned a place on dining tables as ornaments, that would be passed from party to party until they rot. Objects were made in pineapple shapes and paintings of pineapples spread far. Not only this, people started carrying pineapples around as a status symbol (One could even rent it for the evening).
Not only taste, but this delight is known for various health benefits. It is a powerhouse of Vitamins A, B, and C, antioxidants, enzymes, potassium, and manganese. Owing to these constituents, it serves as an immunity booster, strengthens bones and knees, helps in the treatment of injuries, and also reduces stress.
Moving past the history and the fan family around pineapples, and coming to the main topic line, the pungency of the pineapples are sure a thing to discuss on. And people have been talking everywhere about the pineapple. (No HIMYM fans, it isn’t the pineapple incident). One can find numerous complaints about sore and bleeding tongues, lips, and gums after eating pineapples. Most people wrongly attribute this tingling, burning sensation to the acidity. But the reason lies in something else.
Pineapples are the only natural source of the enzyme, bromelain. This enzyme is a protease which essentially is a protein-digesting enzyme. This enzyme works on your lips, tongue, and cheeks when you eat it. So, pineapples eat you back when you eat them. After swallowing, the enzyme is destroyed by the acidic pH of the stomach. Due to the enzyme, it also acts as a meat tenderizer. So, you are not the only one experiencing it. Our bodies are strong and capable enough to rebuild the eaten proteins, which would reduce the soreness.
One might wonder why don’t we feel the same sting when we eat it in desserts. Bromelain like every other enzyme is destroyed by heat processing like baking, roasting, or grilling. Bromelain is believed to cause skin rashes and loss of fingerprints in case of extreme usage. It is thought that workers in pineapple cultivation do not have fingerprints. However, we don’t really know how much of that is true.
So don’t stop eating pineapples. You can either cook it to kill the enzyme. If one still insists on eating it raw, cut the fruit away from the stem and the core which are the concentrated zones of the enzyme.
References
5. Cover image - www.verv.com
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