Re: Pandanus edibility
- Subject: Re: Pandanus edibility
- From: T* &* M* R*
- Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 10:26:24 +1300
Cheryl Renshaw wrote:
>
> > Characteristic fruits of pandanus are a round aggregate of red or yellow
> > berries as much a 12 inches across, looking quite a lot like a
> > pineapple, but as far as I can ascertain they are not edible.
>
> In Hawaii, another local name for screwpine is "tourist pineapple" and it is
> described as "edible, if you're really desperate."
>
> Supposedly, the ubiquitous tour bus guides will point to Pandanus fruit and
> claim they are pineapples to the horticulturally illiterate tourists.
> (They're also known to get the whole tour bus populace "baaaaaing" at
> mountain goats in Waimea Canyon on Kaua'i!)
>
Like it Cheryl <G>
Reminds me of a tale told by a friend who many years ago escorted some
Japanese sailors on a country trip here. It was a time when
highly-coloured dyed sheepskin rugs were popular and when she showed her
guests some flocks of sheep they appeared very puzzled and finally asked
where were all the coloured ones!!
And a completely OT point I cannot resist a comment on which shows the
close affinity between the Haiwaian and Maori languages. Waimea is a
common place name in Maori and is a rather derogatory description of a
local stream or river, varously translated as tastless unpalatable or
unimportant.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand, SW Pacific. 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Time
