Why do the Japanese do things better? The answer is simple, because they care about the details, they care about the image of a product and they are willing to pay for quality.

Most pineapples are gassed to become ripened. Worse, most are picked when they are green and stored for months in dark and cold rooms until they are in demand and ready to be gassed. That idea of a pineapple is not very appetizing except for this type of pineapple above. It is the finest for its size and weight. It has a ripeness that has plenty of natural sugars and it is not in any way effected by aspergillus, a serious contamination common in many fruits all over our globe. (see post on Aspergillus)

The pineapple is called “Snack Pine” and it is produced in Okinawa. It is sweeter than the normal pineapple and easier to eat. You can cut off one of the ends and then pop off each little section with your hands, like eating as a snack. The core is the sweetest part and it is much softer than any other pineapple I’ve tried.