Grilled Pineapple Skewers

Use ripe but firm pineapple—too soft will fall apart on grill. High heat creates caramelization without making fruit mushy. The lime-chili finish balances sweetness. Tajín seasoning makes an excellent shortcut for the chili-lime component.

Pineapple was brought to Hawaii by Polynesian voyagers as one of the canoe plants — the collection of food crops and medicinal plants that early Polynesians carried by canoe as they settled the Pacific — though the pineapple (Ananas comosus) is native to South America. The fruit arrived in Hawaii from its South American homeland via Polynesian navigation routes, not through direct contact with the continent. Commercial pineapple cultivation in Hawaii was developed by James Dole, who established his Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1901; the Dole plantation on the island of Oahu became the world's largest pineapple cannery by the mid-20th century, and canned Hawaiian pineapple became an American pantry staple. Grilling pineapple over open flame caramelizes its natural sugars — approximately 10–15% by weight — through the Maillard reaction and thermal caramelization, creating the charred, bittersweet edges and intensified juiciness that distinguish grilled pineapple from raw. The association of pineapple with Hawaiian and tiki party culture is largely a mid-20th-century American construct, driven by the same romanticized Polynesian fantasy that produced tiki bars, Don the Beachcomber, and Trader Vic's. The skewer format is practical: it creates an edible handle for a slippery, sticky fruit that would otherwise be difficult to serve as a passed appetizer.