Ananás vs Abacaxi

"2 Types of pineapples but not the same"

"2 Tipos de ananás, mas não são iguais"

Ananás and abacaxi as the Portuguese pineapples

In Portuguese, there are 2 words for pineapple. The general used Portuguese word to describe this kind of fruit is ananás. Ok fine, but what is an abacaxi? Read this post to find out the differences between these two fruits of the same family.

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#ananás, #abacaxi, #pineapple, #fruit

Differences between ananás and abacaxi as the Portuguese pineapple

Every abacaxi is an ananás, but not every ananás is an abacaxi. Both are pineapples. So, but what are the differences between these two and why do they get a different name in Portuguese? Below, you find 4 aspects that makes an abacaxi different from the general ananás, the standard pineapple.

abacaxi difference pineapple ananas portuguese food name fruit

1 - The form of the ananás and the abacaxi

The standard pineapple has an oval form. But the abacaxi is longer and more elegant. While the ananás, the standard pineapple is rounder and smaller. This makes an abacaxi more ideal to also use as a decoration aside of a great product to eat.

2 - A different taste between an ananás and an abacaxi

The taste between the two variants is almost the same. A pineapple is known to have a sweet and refreshing taste. But the abacaxi has a much sweeter taste in stead of ananás. While the ananás, the standard pineapple, has a slightly more sour taste. So in case you like a more sweet taste, maybe the abacaxi is more your preferred variant of pineapple.

3 - An abacaxi has a different production method than an ananás

An ananás is cultivated in glasshouses during around 18 months. So, it takes a lot of time and care before this fruit is ripe to harvest. At the other side, the abacaxi is cultivated in open air. So, this fruit has a lot of direct sunlight and tropical breeze during the whole ripening process. This is why an abacaxi is much sweeter as an ananás.

4 - An abacaxi and an ananás have both another origin

An ananás is mostly produced in the South of Brazil and countries like Paraguay. Also in Portugal, they cultivate the ananás. But it is mosly on the Azores. While the Abacaxi is the pineapple variant has his origin in tropical countries like Costa Rica. In Portugal, most of the abacaxi you find comes from these tropical regions of Central America.

Origin of the different names abacaxi and ananás

The pineapple is a tropical fruit. The name abacaxi comes from one o the many original native languages of Brazil. It would be derived from "iuaka ti" what means "fragrant fruit". The Brazilian Portuguese word abacaxi would come from this. While the Portuguese people who arrived in Brazil, firstly gave the name derivated from the Latin: ananás. This is also the name that became the most used one.

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