The image of pineapple is undergoing an overhaul

ASK SOMEONE in their 20s about fresh pineapple, and they'll associate it with a properly garnished cocktail from a hotel bar in Waikiki.

Those in their 30s probably have had to purchase boxes of the fruit to use as centerpieces at a baby luau or wedding reception. Everyone older than that either worked in a cannery growing up, or knows someone who did.

But since Maui Pineapple Co. introduced its Maui Gold variety of the fruit in 1996, its goal has been to change the public's perception -- pineapple can do more than sit on top of a pizza, and it's not just for tourists to eat while they're on vacation.

"Sometimes it might taste like a mango, sometimes it might taste like a coconut," said harvesting and production manager Randy Balala as he helped lead a tour of Honolua Plantation last month. "Every fruit has a different flavor profile."

Maui Pineapple manages 5,000 acres of pineapple on its two Maui plantations, Honolua and Haliimaile, on land described as "one of the world's most fertile pineapple growing regions." It also operates a cannery in Kahului.

Up on the slopes above Kapalua, Wes Nohara, Maui Pineapple vice president of production management, provided an introduction to the basics of pineapple cultivation for a group on Maui during the upscale Kapalua Wine & Food Festival.

For most of those in attendance, it was likely their first look at pineapple in its natural state -- emerging from a spike at the tip of a crop of spindly leaves. Nohara held a pineapple plant with its fruit intact, to compare to a ripe fruit pulled from a nearby harvesting machine.

A third-generation employee, Nohara was born on the plantation.

"We're not a large company by any means," he said. "But we are the best.

"We pay attention to the details of farming ... (and) we have the climate suitable for pineapple. (Other companies) can grow it faster, they can grow it cheaper, but they can't grow better pine."

Every week, approximately 1,500 boxes of fresh Maui Gold pineapple are shipped to select markets on the West Coast, including Washington state and both Northern and Southern California. Almost all of it travels via container ship, with a small percentage making the journey to the mainland via air freight.

Over the past three years, Maui Pineapple has doubled the amount of fresh fruit it provides to various markets. The company also plans to plant more of the 100 percent organic variety of Maui Gold, which currently accounts for less than 5 percent of total production.

"We've established that there is demand for what we feel is a premium product from Maui," explained Howard Nager, Maui Pineapple's vice president of sales and marketing, from the company's corporate offices in Concord, Calif. "Because of our size, we have limited distribution. We're very selective with the customers we choose to do business with, (so) we can maintain our higher quality image and premium product."

Recent news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture was considering a change in policy regarding imported pineapple doesn't faze Nager, who said demand is strong for Maui Gold, but declined to reveal exact sales figures.

"The glass is half-full vs. half-empty for us," he said. "We don't view (foreign importers) as a competitive threat. We're a small, niche player ... from our standpoint, the West Coast is still a natural market for Hawaiian pineapple."

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HAWAII REGIONAL Cuisine chef Beverly Gannon believes that local residents are another natural market.

As the featured guest at last month's Honolua plantation tour, the proprietor of Haliimaile General Store, Joe's and Celebrations Catering, prepared a meal for invited guests that incorporated the fruit into each of its three courses. While it wasn't the first time she had been in a pineapple field, it was the first time she had cooked in one.

"This is pretty cool," she admitted. "I've lived in the middle of the pineapple fields for years, and I kind of stopped eating it. Now, I eat it consistently a lot more because it's always really juicy and sweet."

Gannon cites the nutritional benefits of pineapple, including enzymes that aid in digestion and a high amount of vitamin C. In fact, Maui Gold pineapple has three times the vitamin C as the Champaka variety, which used to be the predominant type grown in Hawaii.

But she keeps coming back to the sweetness, which also increases Maui Gold's palatability among younger consumers. Grilling up a slice of pineapple to go with some vanilla ice cream is a good way to hook youngsters on the fruit, and they soon learn it's just as tasty when eaten straight from the fridge.

"It really isn't that hard to work with," Gannon said. "Pineapple is actually a very good marinade (and) you can make pineapple fritters ... we make a pineapple chutney that I just keep in the fridge, and it's really good on pork or chicken. There's so many things you can do."

Macadamia Nut-Crusted Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Fried Rice

1/2 cup macadamia nuts
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sriracha (Thai garlic-chili paste)
6 (6-ounce) mahimahi fillets
Salt and pepper, to taste
Canola oil, for sautéing

» Wasabi Buerre Blanc:
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup cream
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 tablespoon wasabi
2 teaspoons soy sauce

» Pineapple Fried Rice
7 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 cup peeled and finely diced pineapple
1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts
2 tablespoons peeled and finely diced carrot
2 tablespoons peeled and finely diced fresh ginger
1/4 cup thinly sliced Chinese sausage (lup chong)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup green peas
3 cups cooked white rice, cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper

To prepare buerre blanc: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, boil wine and cream until reduced to 1/2 cup. Reduce heat and whisk in butter a few pieces at a time, making sure sauce does not boil. Add wasabi, then soy sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To prepare fried rice: Heat oil over high heat in skillet until smoking. Add pineapple, water chestnuts, carrots, ginger, sausage, onion and peas. Stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice, salt and pepper; stir-fry 3 minutes more, until rice is heated through. Spoon onto a warmed platter.

To prepare fish: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place nuts, panko, and basil in food processor and process until fine. Spread on plate. Combine mayonnaise and chile paste in small bowl.

Lightly season fish with salt and pepper. Spread a light coat of mayonnaise mixture on one side of each fish fillet. Coat same side evenly with nut mixture.

Coat bottom of an ovenproof sauté pan or skillet with oil; place over medium heat (do not overheat or nuts will burn.) Add fish, crust-side down, and sauté 3 minutes, until golden. Turn fish and place in oven 5 minutes, until cooked through and firm to touch.

Serve fillets over fried rice, topped with sauce. Serves 6.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1 pineapple, cored and cut in 1/4-inch rings

» Caramel:
1-1/2 stick (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar

» Cake:
3 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1-1/2 cup white sugar
6 egg yolks
2-1/4 cup cake flour
3-3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

To make caramel: Melt butter over low heat (do not boil). Add brown sugar and stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add yolks and mix 1 minute on medium speed.

Sift together cake flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix on low speed to incorporate. Scrape down bowl and mix another 30 seconds. Slowly add milk, scrape down bowl again and mix another 30 seconds.

Pour caramel into 9 8-ounce ramekins. Top with a pineapple ring, then fill each ramekin with cake batter, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top. Place ramekins on cookie sheet and bake 35 minutes. Rotate cookie sheet and bake another 10 minutes, until pick inserted into center of a cake comes out clean. (One large cake may be baked in a 9-by-13-inch pan).

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