You Need to Try Airfried Pineapple

Jing Wang - February 7th 

A couple of years ago, my family and their god-given knick for fusing foods together tried barbecuing pineapple at a 4th of July party. When I was in the pool reaching out for a toothpick to try, I had no expectations; I mean, I hated pineapple, always have, so you know what? I’ll just take a bite to appease my mom. Here goes nothing…Oh. My. God. When my teeth first sunk into it, I don’t know why, but I was surprised by the fact that it was warm. I’ve always loved warm food because of my culture (in a Chinese household, you best bet that every meal is warm), but I had never thought that warm fruit would be good. The barbecued pineapple was (do I need to say it?) AMAZING. As I chewed through it, I expected to get that familiar bite, which was the very reason I hated pineapple. However, as I chewed and swallowed, that bite never came. My tongue didn’t feel like it just got sandpapered. Again, Oh My God. What a revolution! 

Now, our grill isn’t to be used 24/7, so my family improvised and started air frying the pineapple. It tasted just like barbecued: still juicy, toasty, and best of all not sandpaper-y. I could eat a whole bowl, and my mouth was perfectly fine. Huzzah! Even though I had the perfect solution (cue dark storm clouds), sometimes we cut a pineapple, and I don’t get to eat it air-fried. I know, first-world problem: raw pineapples. 

One night, after chomping down 6 pieces of raw pineapple, I began to wonder: Why do pineapples taste this way? Why do they leave my tongue, I don’t know, injured? After some quick internet research, I found the culprit--bromelain. Bromelain is an enzyme (an enzyme is a catalyst that speeds up chemical reactions) that digests protein; I guess that officially makes it a protease. It can be used as a pain reliever, as well as a way to reduce swelling; it’s promoted to people who have cancer or digestive issues. When I went down the rabbit hole of, well, bromelain, I found out something very unexpected. Apparently, along with its medical uses, bromelain is also an exceptional meat tenderizer (???). Yes, if you ever need to tenderize your meat, just squeeze the juice out of a pineapple. Be careful about the amount of time you leave it in the pineapple juice though. From various articles online, it seems like the consensus is to never leave it in for more than 12 hours, but if you plan to use pineapple juice, please search up the cut or type of meat you have and how long you should let it tenderize. I don’t know about you but meat mush doesn’t sound very appealing.

While pineapple can be considered one of the best fruit tenderizing options, there are other fruits that can do the job. Remember, bromelain is what causes pineapple to have this unique ability, so let’s look at other fruits with bromelain: kiwis and papaya. Ouch, I hate both of those fruits too; I’m just a big hater of bromelain in general. Maybe you guessed it already or have prior knowledge (proud of you my chefs-in-the-making), but papaya is also used as a meat tenderizer. I think it’s more popular than pineapple in this category. Also, the taste of papaya is naturally weaker than that of pineapple, so it will affect the overall taste of your meat less; however, if you love that tangy taste, I encourage you to try/continue using pineapple juice! Papayas are also an amazing meat tenderizer, so that begs the question of whether kiwi is one too. God darn it, yes it is. Same as papaya--the flavor isn’t overpowering and you are able to use the skin/peel or the actual fruit. Some other noteworthy fruits that have bromelain are mango (finally one I like!) and figs (gross).

Now that you’ve joined me in my rabbit hole, let’s ask the question that’s kind of been bothering me; the answer to it is actually fairly simple. Why is it that air-fried pineapple is so good? Well, first the fact that it has no bite, no sandpaper, no injured-tongue feeling. That’s because the heat used to cook the pineapple breaks down the bromelain--the bite. It cripples that monster, and we’re left with a less intense bite, which is all I really need. Maybe it’s all you really need to, so maybe, if you’re an avid hater of pineapple too, try it? Try cooking it. I promise warm pineapple is 1000x better than raw pineapple, that you won’t regret it, and that it’s truly the best.