this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2024
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Why are pineapples hard to eat? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 1 day ago by john89@lemmy.ca to c/food@beehaw.org
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It's my understanding that fruits typically are made to be consumed, in the sense that it benefits the evolution of the plant. An animal eats the fruit and perhaps some seeds along with it, the seeds don't get digested and end up in soil somewhere further than the plant could spread on them on its own.

How do pineapples fall into this mix? They're practically impossible to eat without tools, and it looks like it's by design. It also bothers me that they're not as easy to eat as apples.

How would this be beneficial to the evolution of the species?

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[–] mermaldad@beehaw.org 3 points 1 day ago

I would also suggest an alternate hypothesis. Sometimes the function of a fruit might not be to attract seed spreaders, but to provide an environment in which the seed can thrive around germination. I don't know that this idea would make sense for pineapples, but it is often true for other fruits.