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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
getting back to pineapples-- the were available in Florida, the Caribbean, and other various places on the tropical east coast of the Americas(pre-columbian times)-- but seems to have been native to brazil. Columbus included some in his treasure trove-- and since pineapple can keep a long time-- they were still "fresh" when he got back to Spain. the name comes from the pina de los Indies-- (pine cone of the indies) -- as said else where-- "apple" was a generic word for a fruit-- so the name be came pine-apples pretty easily. The natives of brazil were the first to use them as signs of hospitality, too.
as for apples being a generic word-- its do to the nature of apple trees-- if you plant apple seeds-- they never come true to the fruit-- and apples have a lot of genetic diversity-- (something that most of us don't see, since now days there about 20 common varieties of apples available (and in many places only 5) and all of these varieties are pretty-- (the US delicious apple-- is the prettiest apple -- not a great tasting one.. but pretty) but in bygone days, when apples were grown for cider and pomace (the solid remain after cider pressing-- and animal food) people didn't much care what they looked like-- and there was a great deal of variety. So apples were small (ladies apples) and large (Rome beauties-- for those who know the apple --sometimes 2.5 to a pound --5 to 6 to a kilo) and came in green, yellow, red, and purple (I can't think of any common apple today that is purplish) With so much variety as to what was an apple-- apple was synonymous with "fruit"
I have read that the chinese word for apricots (no idea what it is) over 4000 years old.. There is evidence that apricots originated in china.-- but at for the rest of the fruits-- who knows? (and are rhubarbs a fruit? aren't they a vegetable? )
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379 |
***The origin of cantaloupes***
In some Sunday column a long time ago, I read that cantaloupes were bred for Spanish nobility, that they were highly prized and not deseminated.
In a more recent such column, a chef lamented the development of a technique to grow truffle mycillium--though not the fruit bodies. An oil prepared from this can be added to food and now anybody can have truffles. "We will just have to find something else," he said.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
I agree that my father (who is Italian, or more accurately, Sardinian) would only use melone but the word that we use for watermelon is something funny. Maybe it's Sardinian. (That info is hard to find on the web, I'll have to ask my dad.) By the way, there are a gazillion different types of melons in Sardinia, all seeming to be called melone. Sometimes you can find them at the stores (on the mainland) here under the heading "fancy melons". By the way, I googled "Italian watermelon" and got "cocomero". ?! Okay, I found the word - Anguria - which appears to be on a menu in a Sardinian restaurant in Texas. ?!?!?! NOW my head hurts! 
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Years ago I read that there is a type of melon grown in India that is prized by gourmets around the world. The melons are grown in special fields where no automobiles or any polluting vehicles are allowed. Only horses are allowed in field and only if held to a walk. I have a vague recollection that the melons are bought and paid for in advance and that the world's millionaire Gourmets keep the existence of the highly prized melons a tightly held secret.
Any help from our Members in India?
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