A Spike in Interest
The world is in the grips of hack-o-mania, as social media goes bananas for ananas.
On face value, it may just feel like a bit of a joke between friends, on a global scale. But this phenomenon actually has a lot to do with where we’re at in terms of societal values more broadly. According to the think-tank I use for a lot of our Phenomenom research - Colmar Brunton - people who consider themselves 'forward thinkers' are seeking out ways to do things “better” and break out of convention/the norm, with “hacks” fitting perfectly within this paradigm.
Social media also lends itself most perfectly to “who knew” moments, which we see crop up every couple of months, and the most successful tend to be the most relatable - remember arguing about the colour of a dress... or pricking up your ears for 'Laurel vs. Yanny'?
We’ve almost all eaten or at least SEEN a pineapple and interestingly, based on Twitter insights, my post went craziest in South America, the original birthplace of pinã.
As for whether it’s a better way to eat pineapple, it’s pretty messy, and you DO need to find the pineapple with the perfect ripeness to make the hack work (you can check a pineapple’s ripe by whether it smells sweet and if the top feels like it’ll twist off easily).
If you want to try it at home, you might consider rolling the pineapple across the bench a few times to help loosen the fibres, slicing in to about the 3/4 mark (where the segments are starting to get bigger) and then encouraging the segments apart with your fingernails (the "sparrowhawk nails" definitely helped, shady Twitter Spaniard).
Finally, don’t be perturbed if it refuses to budge - some varieties are definitely more amenable to this than others. The original post (which has garnered millions of views and calls of "fake news" from around the world) is actually of an Okinawa Snacking Pineapple, specially bred to be handled like a bunch of grapes. However, having tried it out successfully for myself on a QLD pineapple from our local greengrocer, I can confidently say that it is possible, and quite satisfying.
And now for a few more delightful activity recommendations...
If you’re that way inclined:
Listen: Southern Lady Code
Author Helen Ellis is one of the most fascinating, fantastic people we've ever had the pleasure of spending time with. When she visited Melbourne for her last book tour, I happened to have a spare day to chauffeur her around some of my favourite foodie haunts, and drop her at The Cas for a few rounds of poker with some unsuspecting locals (because she is also a poker ace!). Listening to this podcast has been like having Helen back in my car, and it is profoundly enjoyable!
Watch: Hungarian Rhapsody
Dad's weekend sojourns to JB Hi-Fi have oftentimes yielded some bizarre DVD acquisitions, but for once, he's come through with the goods. It's 1986, Queen are almost through their worldwide tour, Freddie Mercury is on top of his game, and the Hungarian government have fronted up masses of coin to do a large-scale recording of their Budapest concert. I'm talkin' 40 cameras, behind-the-scenes interviews with the bandmates and Freddie, plus bonus footage. All digitally remastered, so that it feels like the concert could've happened yesterday. Well worth seeking out!
Cheat: This Dried Garlic Powder
On the topic of 'hacks', if you're the kind of person who lives their life with the philosophy that "everything is better with garlic", this organic garlic powder is my actual favourite. I have it on the kitchen table to sprinkle over anything that feels like it needs a little somethin' somethin' when I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Like tomatoes on toast, or bland-ish chicken soup, or steamed bok choy. It's not about to replace fresh garlic in my cooking, mind you, but for the purposes of fast flavour boosting, it's a no-brainer. You can pick it up at many good grocers/health food shops, or order online via iHerb.
Incidentally, I'll be on ABC News Breakfast at 7:45AM AEST tomorrow morning for another Culinary Correspondence, so if you feel like watching me hack at a pineapple on live TV/debut some other weird and whacky shapeshifting foods, tune in! (or just look out for the highlights on my SocMed later)
Cheerio!
A — Z.