Is Shenwan pineapple only authentic when it's small? Many Zhongshan locals have got it wrong

July is the season when Shenwan pineapple is in season and on the market. I once heard that only the small ones are authentic Shenwan pineapples, so how can local folks pick and buy authentic Shenwan pineapple? Xiaobuge asked Uncle Hong, president of the Shenwan Pineapple Association, to teach everyone how to tell them apart! Let's learn a trick or two together!

There are quite a few methods of selection circulating, including the size theory, the "flower eye" theory, the fruit stalk theory and so on, and among them the size theory is the one most people accept. Shenwan pineapple indeed used to be relatively small, because the planting techniques and fertilizers of the past were relatively backward, so the pineapples grown were relatively small, while pineapples grown with new planting techniques and compound fertilizers today will be relatively large.

In fact, there are two main ways to identify authentic Shenwan pineapple:

Method one

Flower eye comparison method

Compared with other pineapples, the flower eyes of Shenwan pineapple are more prominent, that is, the pits between the eyes are deeper. Moreover, Shenwan pineapple is always left with its fruit stalk unpicked, while other pineapples have their fruit stalks removed at harvest, leaving only the crown bud.

Method two

Flesh comparison method

Shenwan pineapple is crisp and free of fibrous residue, sweet and fragrant, and can be eaten without soaking in salt water.

Uncle Hong said that there is a widely circulated legend, which says that authentic Shenwan pineapple only comes from a few mu of land on the hill in Shagang Village and simply cannot be bought, but in fact this is also a very oldmisunderstanding.

As early as the 1920s, the seedlings of what we now call Shenwan pineapple were brought back from abroad by the returned overseas Chinese Li Guohan. At the time, he partnered with another returned overseas Chinese, Chen Xianggu, and cleared more than ten mu of hillside land at Laocundubei on the southern foot of Yaji Mountain to plant them, pioneering Shenwan pineapple cultivation.

However, this does not mean that only these ten-odd mu of land produce the authentic fruit. According to research, the deliciousness of Shenwan pineapple is first inseparable from its excellent variety, and secondly from the valley effect created by the continuous surrounding slopes of Yaji Mountain and Tielu Mountain, plus a very unique climate formed by its proximity to the outlet of the West River, which suits Shenwan pineapple cultivation perfectly. Only pineapples grown in this area truly achieve the crisp, residue-free effect. Therefore, as long as the pineapple is grown in this area, it is authentic Shenwan pineapple, and everyone need not worry about not being able to eat authentic Shenwan pineapple.

(Shenwan pineapples come in large and small sizes, take your pick)

Zhongshan Release Editorial Department

Editor: Wen Ying

Source of materials: Shenwan Publicity Office