Pineapple is the common name of the edible pineapple fruit. A pineapple plantation would be amazing to see. I would look for the fruit overhead, but it turns out that pineapples grow quite close to the ground. The big, juicy fruit grows out of a clump of spiky leaves on top of a short stem. The main producers of pineapples are Hawaii, Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines.

We should buy big, pithy, whole yellow pineapples and as heavy as possible. The heavier the pineapple, the more juice there is in the fruit.

Pineapple is a source of pectin – a dietary fibre which puffs up and gives us a sense of being full for a long time. This fibre helps to clean out the body. It improves digestion so it is used for different kinds of crash and detox diets. Pineapple is a rich source of potassium and it contains ascorbic acid and vitamin B and compounds that stimulate circulation. It has demulcent features, so it is used in sports medicine.

Pineapple is without question a very valuable fruit. I appreciate it most of all for its flavour, original texture and versatility. Pineapple can be fried, barbequed or added to salads and desserts. It is a traditional ingredient of Hawaiian pizza. It tastes good in salad with smoked chicken, lettuce, green onion and walnuts. It goes well with smoked bacon and pepper in shish kebab, and served with mascarpone and cranberry it can finish your Sunday dinner.

Today I would like to share with you the simplest way to serve pineapple. Succulent yellow fruit with vanilla sauce – it is a light dessert after a large dinner or a light snack on a sunny day.

Ingredients:

1 fresh pineapple

1.5 glasses of milk

a few drops of vanilla essence or vanilla sugar

1 tablespoon of flour

2-3 tablespoons of sugar

3 egg yolks

Slice the leaves off the pineapple, cut it lengthwise into quarters and then cut out and discard the middle. Remove the skin from the remaining part of the pineapple, slice it and separate slightly, leaving it on a "plate" made from the peel.

Mix the flour with a small amount of cold milk. Boil the rest of the milk and add the milk with the flour. Stir constantly. Boil for a while. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla sugar and add the hot milk. Boil on a low heat until the cream coagulates. Leave the mixture to cool down.

Before serving, pour vanilla sauce onto the pineapple.

In a faster version, the boiled vanilla sauce can be replaced with yoghurt sauce with sugar and vanilla sugar. It tastes different but is also tasty. 

Enjoy your meal!