Where Does Ananas Come from?

Pineapples come originally from South America, most probably from the region between South Brazil and Paraguay. From here, pineapples quickly spread around the continent up to Mexico and the West Indies, where Columbus found them when visiting Guadeloupe in 1493 [1].

Where does the word ananas come from?

It was named "pineapple" by the European explorers due to its resemblance to a pine cone. In many countries, however, the prized fruit has a name similar to "ananas" that comes from the Tupi word "nanas," meaning "excellent fruit," and was recorded by André Thevet, a French Franciscan priest and explorer in 1555.

Why does ananas mean pineapple?

The prevalence of ananas is illustrated as well on the map below. The origins of those terms stem from the early 1600, when the European explorers of the Americas brought the fruit to Europe, using the word pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone from conifer trees.