Friday, December 15, 2017

Another King Fruit


Fruits of their labour: Ahmad Shabery Chek putting a pineapple on an arch after launching the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board's 60th Anniversary Pineapple Fiesta at the Pontian Trade Centre, Johor. 

Top Pineapple Producing Countries

RankCountryPineapple Production (in thousand metric tonnes)
1Costa Rica26853.13 2685.131
2Brazil2483.83
3Philippines2458.42
4Thailand2209.35
5Indonesia1837.16
6India1571.00
7Nigeria1420.00
8China1386.36
9Mexico771.94
10Columbia643.04

The above statistics have been true up to April this year.


The first top 4 each supply approximately 10% of the world's requirements.

Malaysia produces 412,720 metric tons per year, about less than a fifth of above top countries like Costa Rica and our neighbour Philippines and Thailand.

And now we read in The Star Online that China pines for Malaysian pineapples (clever pun by Star reporter Yee Xiang Yun) that apart from the Gua Musang King durians, the Chinese (the ones in China, that is, wakakaka) are also crazy for Malaysia’s fresh MD2 type pineapples.




It seems those fruits-crazy Chinese (the ones in China, wakakaka) want about 100 tonnes each week but Malaysia was only able to provide about 60 tonnes.

When I was a kid I studied that Malaysia was No 2 globally in pineapple production and second only to the USA (Hawaii). It seems now that both Malaysia and the USA have disappeared from the list of top 10 pineapple-producers.


Antigua Black Pineapple: The World's Sweetest.

When the Arawak migrated to the Caribbean from South America in the 17th century, they brought with them what would become the official fruit of Antigua, the Black Pineapple.
 

Pineapples are popular with Chinese, especially in Penang, during Chinese New Year as the word 'pineapple' in Penang Hokkien is 'Ong-Lai' which sounds like 'Prosperity-Comes', a good pun for luck.

Hence one will see a pineapple or pineapples as votive offering to Shen (Chinese native or folk religion gods) and ancestors during worship.


In recent times (in fact early this year), I notice that Chinese, in particular Cantonese, cut a fresh pineapples at their ancestors' tombs during Qing Ming, placing the decapitated crown on top of the tombstone and the skins cast widely over the grave.

This must be a recent modernised improvisation of the 'Ong-Lai' pun as the ritual did not exist during my kiddy days, or at least in Penang which were chiefly populated by Hokkiens and Teochoews.


8 comments:

  1. Ha ha ha.What this Shabery Chek dude knows is that durians and pineapples are like donkey and mules.Donkeys and mules look the same,from the same family and bred.Besides one can call a donkey a mule,or call a mule a donkey.Either way,they are the same.

    Pineapples can poke that butt if one sits on it,but sitting on a durian,it can poke through ones asshole too.Shabery is like Donald Trump.The only difference is that Trump does not know that his missus is screwing around,with a dude,who works on third floor,Trump Tower.Or maybe he knows,but is helpless to do anything unless he wants missus to walk out as an ex- Mrs Trump.Wakakaka.

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    Replies
    1. wakakaka, hope you don't get caught by Trump's minders

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  2. MD2 pine is good. Every Sunday morning I will go to Pasar Tani and buy it. It is pricy - within the range of RM10 to RM12 per piece depending on the size. I will cut it into small triangular piece, put it in the fridge and eat it mun mun over a few days. Awesome taste. Try it.

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  3. Lucky Ktemoc corrected his post on Costa Rica's pineapple output, an order of magnitude too big , otherwise I would have regarded it as yet another Ktemoc fake news post... (there are many other such past posts)

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    Replies
    1. the error in Costa Rica's production was by a website.

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    2. Haha haha.. OK I Won't blame you then.but be careful about disseminating Fake News.
      Those who spread and share fake news are almost as bad as those create it....

      Hehehehe

      Delete
  4. Like you...every day spreading Najib-inspired news

    ReplyDelete