Are pineapples really delicious? The history of the pineapple?s taste/flavour and the role of varietal and terroir

The pineapple has long been described as the most delicious of fruits. At the same time, however, the English philosopher John Locke once famously argued that it was impossible to describe the taste of this exotic fruit for those (including himself) who had not had the pleasure of sampling one. In recent years, flavour chemists have managed to identify many of the key volatiles giving rise to the distinctive taste/flavour/aroma of this member of the bromeliad family. However, taking a closer look at the history of this most exotic of fruits soon highlights how 'deliciousness' is very much a culturally and not merely a chemically-determined construct, contrary to what the molecular gastronomists would have us believe. However, beyond sociocultural factors, it should also be remembered how any given pineapple's flavour profile will likely be influenced by a wide array of factors, including those related to varietal, maturity, storage, etc. This makes any attempt to describe the taste/flavour, or to reconstruct the historical aroma/taste of a pineapple in Locke's day (i.e., in the closing decades of the 17th century), all the more challenging.