The pineapple is a tropical plant that usually grows 1 to 1.5 meters tall, although sometimes it can be taller. Scientifically, it is known as Ananas comosus which is why the fruit is referred to as ananas in almost every language but English. The plant has a short, stocky stem with tough leaves. It grows up to two hundred flowers, which together grow into one fruit that sits on top of the plant itself.

The pineapple fruit is rough and scaly on the outside. Inside, it consists of many small fruitlets fused together around a central stem. Its pulp is juicy and fleshy with a white to yellow colour. Pineapples measure up to thirty centimetres in length and weigh over three kilograms.

Pineapples can be consumed fresh, cooked, juiced, dried and preserved, and are found in a wide array of cuisines. It is one of the few fruits that is available all year, without losing its taste.

Fresh pineapple is low in calories. It is a storehouse for several unique health promoting compounds, minerals and vitamins that are essential for optimum health. Pineapple fruit contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain that digests food by breaking down protein. Bromelain also has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and anti-cancer properties.