Pineapple may have started out as an exotic treat for the rich, but fast forward a few hundred years and this tropical delicacy has become an indulgent staple enjoyed by the masses worldwide.
Whether you eat yours , diced up in , grilled, on a skewer, pureed in a , or served up stir-fry style, theres no wrong way to experience the explosion of sweet, tart, and tangy goodness hiding behind that spiny exterior.
Pineapples are one of the most popular tropical fruits around the world Their sweet juicy flesh and vibrant colors make them a treat for the eyes and the tastebuds But did you know that pineapples actually come in different varieties?
Yes, there are dozens of pineapple cultivars that vary in size, shape, color, flavor, texture, and more! In this article, we’ll explore the fascinating world of pineapple diversity and learn about some of the most popular pineapple types.
A Brief History of Pineapple Cultivation
Pineapples are native to South America and were first discovered by Europeans in 1493 on the Guadeloupe Islands. From there, pineapples spread across the globe as an exotic delicacy. People started selectively breeding pineapples for desirable qualities like sweetness, color shape hardiness, and yield.
Over many generations, this resulted in specialized cultivars adapted to different climates and geographies. Today, pineapples are grown in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The two biggest pineapple producers are Costa Rica and the Philippines.
Main Categories of Pineapple Varieties
While there are countless pineapple cultivars, most can be grouped into four main horticultural categories:
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Smooth Cayenne – Cylindrical in shape with smooth, yellow skin and sweet, juicy flesh. The most common commercial pineapple variety.
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Queen – Rounder shape with dark yellow skin and high sugar content. Less acidic than Smooth Cayenne.
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Red Spanish – Bright yellow skin with reddish-pink hues. Flavor is tangy and aromatic.
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Abacaxi – Found in Brazil, this pineapple has variegated green and red leaves. The translucent white flesh is very sweet.
10 Popular Pineapple Varieties
Here are some details on 10 of the most popular pineapple varieties that you may encounter:
1. Smooth Cayenne
As mentioned above, this is the most widely grown pineapple variety for commercial production. Smooth Cayennes have a classic cylindrical shape with rigid leaves and golden yellow flesh. The flavor is sweet and tangy.
2. Champaka
Popular in Asia, Champaka pineapples are named after the fragrant Champaka flower. They have white flesh streaked with pink and an aromatic, tropical flavor.
3. Sugarloaf
The conically-shaped Sugarloaf pineapples have a very sweet flavor reminiscent of honey. The flesh is delicate and creamy white.
4. Red Spanish
With vivid reddish-orange skin and pinkish flesh, Red Spanish pineapples are both beautiful and delicious. They have a vibrant, sweet-tart taste.
5. Golden pineapple
As the name suggests, these pineapples have a striking golden rind. The juicy flesh ranges from pale yellow to deep gold. They’re ultra sweet with a mild flavor.
6. Queen
Queen pineapples are smaller with dark yellow skin and leafy crowns. The flesh is very sweet and juicy. Great for eating fresh.
7. Abacaxi
Grown in Brazil, Abacaxi pineapples have translucent white flesh and ornamental variegated leaves. They are very low in acid with a mellow, super sweet flavor.
8. Ruby pineapple
Ruby pineapples have vibrant pinkish-red skin and flesh. They are incredibly sweet and often used for juicing or in desserts. The color fades quickly after cutting.
9. Pernambuco
This unique, elongate pineapple has light green skin that ripens to red. The tangy flesh ranges from deep yellow to salmon pink. It’s popular in Latin America.
10. Mauritius
Mauritius pineapples are small with curved, blue-green leaves. The pulp is juicy and fiber-free. They are prized for their exceptionally rich, sweet taste.
How Pineapple Varieties Differ
Pineapple varieties can vary significantly in terms of:
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Size – From tiny 4-inch Mini Pineapples to giant 8+ pound monsters.
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Shape – Cylindrical, spherical, conical, oblong, and more.
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Flesh color – Ranges from near white to deep yellow-orange. Some have pink or red flesh.
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Skin color – Most are yellow when ripe, but some turn orange, pink, red, green, or purple.
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Flavor – Sweet, sour, mild, rich, tangy, tropical, and more. Sugar content varies.
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Texture – Juicy, tender, crunchy, creamy, fibrous, and more.
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Leaf shape/color – Smooth, spiky, variegated, spotted, and more.
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Yield – Some produce more fruit per plant. Important for commercial growing.
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Growing conditions – Some varieties tolerate drought, cold, pests, etc better than others.
Health Benefits of Pineapples
One thing all pineapple varieties have in common is that they’re incredibly good for you! Pineapples contain a bundle of nutrients and plant compounds linked to health benefits:
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High in vitamin C – boosts immunity.
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Manganese – bone health and metabolism.
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Bromelain – anti-inflammatory properties.
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Fiber – improves digestion.
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Antioxidants – protect cells from damage.
So next time you’re shopping for pineapple, try a new variety beyond the typical Smooth Cayenne and experience a diversity of colors, shapes, flavors and textures. Just remember that no matter which kind you choose, pineapples pack a healthy, tropical punch!
Top 10 Different Types of Pineapples
There are more than 37 types of pineapples grown across the world, each with its own unique set of characteristics. Here’s a little bit about each of the ten most popular types of pineapples.
1. Abacaxi Pineapples
Abacaxi pineapples are very sweet and quite resistant to disease, making them a very popular crop to grow. They weigh anywhere from two to eleven pounds. They’re spiny and tall, and their flesh is nearly translucent in color. They’re delicious, but too delicate for commercial purposes.
2. Queen Pineapples
Found mostly in Australia and South Africa, Queen pineapples are dark-yellow with a small core. The Queen pineapple has a pleasant aroma and flavor, but does not can well. Instead, they’re better eaten fresh. Queen pineapples are more tolerant of diseases and cold temperatures than other types of pineapple.
3. Red Spanish Pineapples
Aptly named, Red Spanish pineapples are orange-red in color and are grown in the Caribbean. It produces fruit that has a light-yellow color and an aromatic flavor. They’re sturdy and high in fiber, but aren’t as tender as other varieties.
4. Smooth Cayenne Pineapples
Smooth Cayenne pineapples are likely the ones you’d find in a typical food store in the United States. They’re the main type of pineapple grown in Hawaii, and are bigger than most other varieties, weighing in at four to ten pounds. They feature a distinctive yellow flesh and are very juicy.
5. Pernambuco Pineapples
Pernambuco pineapples are mostly grown in Brazil. They’re white, tender, and juicy with a mild flavor. They’re yellow both inside and out and feature distinctive long, spiny leaves.
6. Mordilona Pineapples
Mordilona pineapples are grown in the northeastern Andes of Colombia and Venezuela. They’re large, irregular, and cylindrical with a yellow to orange peel. The flesh is cream-colored and sweet.
7. Kona Sugarloaf
Kona Sugarloaf is a type of Smooth Cayenne pineapple. It features white flesh with a high sugar content and no acidity. It’s unusually sweet and delicious. One distinctive feature of this type of pineapple is that its core isn’t woody, but is tender and completely edible.
8. Brecheche
Brecheche pineapples are small, cylinder-shaped, and olive colored. The plant is completely spike-free. The flesh of Brecheche is yellow, very fragrant, and juicy with a small core.
9. Singapore Red
Signapore Red pineapples feature green leaves with a reddish stripe at the end. The fruits are reddish, cylindrical, and small with golden-yellow flesh. They’re disease and pest-resistant and are great for canning.
10. Panare This pineapple is named after the Indian tribe who grew it in Venezuela. The fruit is bottle-shaped and orange-colored. The flesh is deep yellow, slightly fragrant, and has a small core.
When pineapple are in season
While pineapples are imported into the United States year-round, the peak growing season tends to be April through June. According to Jane Hunts, merchandise manager for fruit at Harry & David, this is also when their absolute best.
“All of our pineapples come from a single farm in Costa Rica,” Hunts explains. “The growers time their planting and pollination so our pineapples will ripen right when we need them.” And unlike many of the pineapples that end up sitting in distribution centers for weeks after harvest, Hunts adds “our fruit, that comes from Costa Rica, often arrives at our packing house within just a couple days of being picked, ensuring peak ripeness and flavor.”
Produce growers use a high-tech measurement called a to see how much sugar is in the fruit they grow. In short, the process involves shining light through a sample of fruit juice to see how it bends. The greater the sugar in the sample, the more the light refracts — and the higher its Brix level is overall. For example, most tomatoes come in with a Brix reading of 3 to 4, watermelon averages 9 to 11, and sweet corn tops the Brix scale with averages in the 15 to 20 range.
“We like our pineapple to have high, sweet Brix readings of 12 to 14,” Hunts explains. “Our packing house tests these levels to make sure the fruit meets our standards. We reject about 30% of all the pineapples that are delivered to us — that fruit ends up in grocery stores.”
More than three dozen different types of pineapples are grown around the world, each with its own unique size, flavor, and appearance. The most popular include:
Tall and spiny with exceptionally sweet, virtually translucent flesh. Sadly, they are very delicate and hard to ship far distances.
These small, olive-tinted, cylinder-shaped fruit are one of the few pineapples that are completely spike-free.
A cousin of the Smooth Cayenne (see below), Kona Sugarloafs are beloved for their lack of acidity, high sugar content, and a core that you can eat.
Brazils favorite pineapple, the Pernambuco has a mild delicate flavor and sports pale yellowish-white flesh and long, distinctive spiny leaves.
Most commonly sold in Australia and South Africa, these cold-tolerant fruits are typically dark yellow with a very fine, dense core.
A Caribbean staple, these sturdy, highly aromatic fruits get their name from their unusual orangish-red skin.
Outside, these small fruits have a unique reddish color (including a red stripe on the tips of their leaves). Inside, they are golden-yellow with crisp, tangy flesh that makes them ideal for canning.
The type of pineapple we see most often in U.S. markets, Smooth Cayennes tend to be larger and juicier than other pineapple and are typically imported from Hawaii.
10 Different Types of Pineapple
FAQ
What is the best tasting pineapple?
The Antigua Black pineapple fruit is golden in color. The flavor is crisp and low on the acid. It’s also the sweetest pineapple in the world.
Is pink or yellow pineapple better?
Look for a pineapple with PINK near the bottom. This is the biggest sign that the fruit is golden juicy and delicious inside. It will just be a slight pink along the lines, so pick them up and look closely! The darker/more pink you see the better it is.
How many kinds of pineapples are there?
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Edible Arrangementshttps://www.ediblearrangements.com10 Different Types of Pineapples – Edible® BlogApr 14, 2023 — There are more than 37 types of pineapples grown across the world, each with its own unique set of characteristics. Here’s a little bit about each o…
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Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.orgPineapple – WikipediaTaxonomy. The pineapple comprises five botanical varieties, formerly regarded as separate species. The genomes of three varieties, including the wild progenitor…
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Harry & Davidhttps://www.harryanddavid.comTypes of Pineapple | Pineapple Facts | The Table by Harry & DavidMar 4, 2025 — Types of pineapples. More than three dozen different types of pineapples are grown around the world, each with its own unique size, flavor, and appea…
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International Tropical Fruits Networkhttps://www.itfnet.orgPINEAPPLE – Common Varieties – International Tropical Fruits NetworkMay 10, 2016 — Commercial cultivars of pineapple are generally placed in five groups i.e. Cayenne, Queen, Spanish, Pernambuco and Mordilona. In international trade…
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ScienceDirect.comhttps://www.sciencedirect.comPineapple (Ananas comosus): A comprehensive review of nutritional values, volatile compounds, health benefits, and potential food productsTo date, more than 100 varieties of pineapple exist in which only 6 to 8 varieties are grown commercially ( Steingass et al., 2020). The main variety is Smooth …
Are all pineapples edible?
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Edible Pineapples:The pineapples we commonly see in grocery stores and markets are typically the edible type, especially varieties like Smooth Cayenne.
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Ornamental Pineapples:Some pineapples are grown for their decorative leaves and flowers, and the fruit is not meant for consumption.
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Edible Parts:The juicy, sweet flesh is the main edible part. The core can be eaten but is often tough and fibrous.
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Inedible Parts:The tough, spiky rind (outer skin) is not edible.