The $10,000 Pineapple: A Luxury of the Past
43sThe shocking price tag of a pineapple in the 1700s immediately grabs attention and sparks curiosity about historical luxury.
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This video explores a historical recipe for a pineapple tart from 1736, when pineapples were a luxury item costing up to $10,000 in today's money. The host demonstrates the recipe from the 'Country Housewife and Ladies Director' journal, highlighting the fruit's status symbol role in 18th-century Europe.
Chapters
[00:01]
Pineapple's Historical Value
In 1736 England, a single pineapple could cost up to $10,000 in modern currency, making it a luxury only the wealthiest could afford, like King Charles II.
[00:15]
Status Symbol Usage
By the 1730s, wealthy Europeans often used pineapples as decoration and status symbols rather than food, which is why this recipe is so special.
[00:30]
Recipe Origin
The recipe comes from the 'Country Housewife and Ladies Director' journal and is called 'Pineapple Tart'. Most pineapples at the time were imported from Barbados.
[00:43]
Cultivation Breakthrough
In 1733, King Louis XV of France successfully grew pineapples in Europe, thanks to his gardener. This led to specialized greenhouses called 'pineries' across Western Europe.
[00:57]
Pineapple Imagery
Despite high costs, pineapple imagery appeared everywhere—on plates, furniture, bags, and even a summer house of the Fourth Earl of Dunmore—but most Europeans never tasted one.
[01:10]
Social Display
Even if you couldn't buy a pineapple, you could display one at fashionable dinner parties for a month before anyone ate it, as a sign of wealth.
[01:24]
Recipe Ingredients
The tart is essentially pineapple stewed with sugar and sweet wine from the Canary Islands or Madeira. The host used Malmsey wine for its golden flavor to enhance the pineapple taste.
[01:38]
Cost and Taste
The dessert is incredibly sweet, and even a few bites would cost about a month's rent back then, but the host says it was worth it. Modern pineapples are much more affordable.
[01:51]
Further Resources
The host directs viewers to the full video on YouTube and the recipe at tastinghistory.com for more on pineapple history.
The video offers a fascinating glimpse into 18th-century culinary history, showing how a luxury item like pineapple was transformed into a sweet tart. It underscores how food prices and availability have changed dramatically over centuries.
Mentioned in this Video
Study Flashcards (5)
How much could a pineapple cost in 1736 England in today's money?
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How much could a pineapple cost in 1736 England in today's money?
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Up to $10,000.
00:01
What was the name of the journal where the pineapple tart recipe was published?
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What was the name of the journal where the pineapple tart recipe was published?
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Country Housewife and Ladies Director.
00:30
Which king successfully grew pineapples in Europe in 1733?
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Which king successfully grew pineapples in Europe in 1733?
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King Louis XV of France.
00:43
What were the specialized greenhouses for growing pineapples called?
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What were the specialized greenhouses for growing pineapples called?
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Pineries.
00:43
What ingredients are used in the pineapple tart recipe?
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What ingredients are used in the pineapple tart recipe?
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Pineapple stewed with sugar and sweet wine from the Canary Islands or Madeira.
01:24
💡 Key Takeaways
📊
Pineapple's Astronomical Cost
Provides a concrete, shocking figure that immediately contextualizes the fruit's historical luxury status.
00:01
📊
First European Cultivation
Marks a pivotal moment in agricultural history, leading to the spread of pineries across Europe.
00:43
💡
Pineapple as Social Display
Reveals how food was used as a status symbol, not just for consumption, in 18th-century society.
01:10
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Recipe's Simplicity
Shows that even a luxury dish was made with simple ingredients, highlighting the contrast between cost and preparation.
01:24Full Transcript
[00:01] по крайней мере, таким он был, когда рецепт был записан в Англии в 1736 году, потому что в то время один ананас мог стоить до 10 000 долларов в пересчете на сегодняшние деньги. Незадолго до этого ананасы могли позволить себе лишь такие люди, как король Карл II
[00:15] своим ананасом. Но к 1730-м годам многие невероятно богатые зачастую они использовали их скорее в качестве украшения и символа статуса, чем в пищу. Именно это делает этот рецепт таким особенным. Рецепт взят из журнала Country
[00:30] Housewife and Ladies Director и называется «Пирог из ананаса или большинство из них приезжало из Барбадоса . Однако в 1733 году королю Франции Людовику XV удалось успешно выращивать
[00:43] предполагаю, что их вырастил его садовник . Вскоре по всей Западной Европе стали появляться специализированные теплицы для выращивания ананасов, называемые питомниками . людей их приобретение по-прежнему было слишком дорогим, их изображение стало появляться повсюду: от тарелок и
[00:57] мебели до сумок и летнего дома четвертого графа Данмора, который ананаса. Ананасы были повсюду, но они по-прежнему были настолько дорогими, что большинство европейцев никогда в жизни не пробовали их на вкус . Но даже если вы не могли купить его, чтобы
[01:10] поставить на свой стол и создать впечатление, что можно было увидеть на каждом модном званом ужине в течение месяца, прежде чем кто-нибудь . По сути, это просто ананас, тушенный с сахаром и сладким
[01:24] вином с Канарских островов или Мадейры. Я использовала сорт Мальмси из-за его золотистого вкус ананаса должен был раскрыться в полной мере. В рецепте указано, что его можно совсем необязательно. Это невероятно сладкий десерт, и
[01:38] укусов всё ещё стоили бы примерно месячную арендную плату. Но знаете что? Стоило того. Вам ананасы сейчас гораздо доступнее по цене. Чтобы узнать больше об истории ананасов, посмотрите полное видео на YouTube, а рецепт можно найти
[01:51] full video on YouTube and the recipe is at tastinghistory.com.
