In the 1700s, pineapples were so rare and expensive that wealthy Europeans rented them as status symbols to display at parties.

During the 18th century, pineapples became the ultimate symbol of wealth and hospitality in Europe, particularly in Britain and France. Because the fruit is native to South America and the Caribbean, transporting it across the Atlantic in slow wooden ships was nearly impossible. Most pineapples rotted due to the heat and humidity during the journey before reaching European ports.The rarity of the fruit meant that a single pineapple could cost up to £80 at the time, equivalent to roughly $8,000 or £5,000 in modern currency. This exorbitant price made eating the fruit a waste of a massive investment. Instead, a secondary market emerged where entrepreneurs rented out a single pineapple to multiple households for various social events.Aristocrats would display the rented fruit as a dinner party centerpiece or even carry it under their arm at high-society gatherings to signal their elite status. This cultural obsession even influenced architecture and home decor. Stone pineapples carved into gateposts and doorways of historic 18th-century estates still survive today, such as the famous Dunmore Pineapple folly built in Scotland in 1761.The pineapple craze only began to fade in the late 1800s. Improvements in steamship technology and the development of specialized hothouses known as "pineries" finally made the fruit more accessible to the middle class. Until then, the pineapple remained a luxury item meant to be seen but almost never tasted.