Johnalewis74's Blog
Johnalewis74's Blog
Aug 28, 2007 | 5:20 AM PST
Tag: Tropical Plants
Renaissance Europe...
The Renaissance Europe to which Columbus returned with his discoveries was a civilization in great need of common sweets. Sugar, refined from cane was a rare commodity imported at great cost from the middle east and orient. Fresh fruit was also a rare item; orchard-grown fruit being available in only limited varieties for brief periods of time.
Pineapple: Treat of Kings...
In such a gastronomic society, reports and later samples of the New World's pineapple, made the fruit an item of celebrity and curiosity for royal and horticulturist alike. Despite efforts by European gardeners, it was almost two centuries before they were able to perfect a hothouse method for growing a pineapple plant. Well into the 1600's, the pineapple remained so uncommon and coveted a commodity, that King Charles II of England posed for an offical portrait in an act then symbolic of royal privilege... receiving a pineapple as a gift.
Pineapples and Colonial America...
Across the ocean, the pineapple took on other symbolic meanings in England's American colonies. The colonies were then a land of small, primitive towns and settlements where homes served as the hubs of most community activity.
Visiting was the primary means of entertainment, culturial and news information. The concept of hospitality, the warmth, charm and style with which guests were taken into the home, was a central element of the society's daily emotional life.
