Experience the Kauai White Pineapple A Sweet Sensory Revelation

Did you ever eat the core of a pineapple? OK, more on that later.

Growing up, I wasn't the best eater, especially with my vegetables. Plus, I ate with my eyes, as so many kids (and some adults do). Things that I absolutely love now like sweet potatoes, asparagus, and beans I would stick my nose up before even seeing, smelling, or tasting those foods (maybe if they were mixed with a Kauai White Pineapple, I might have ate more of my vegetables)!

Wailua Falls, Kauai. On our first day, we drove around and these falls were visible from just off the road with ample parking and a very short walk and see the majestic nature of the falls.

I was also pretty picky about entire classes of foods like Indian, which I didn't start eating until about 10 years ago or sushi, which I will try here and there, although I am not an expert on either cuisine by any means.

One thing I was pretty good at eating was fruit. I loved oranges, bananas, grapes, watermelon, apples and pineapples. As I think back, I probably ate fruit 3-5 times a week as a kid. Now, its every day, and usually a few times a day.

Our First Family Trip to Hawaii

Mary Beth and I went on our honeymoon to 3 islands (Maui, Kauai, and Lanai) in Hawaii 27 years ago and then once again to Maui for a company trip about 10 years ago. We wanted to have the kids see Hawaii but wanted to try a few different islands. We opted for Oahu and The Big Island of Hawaii. Michael was an avid historian of WWII so we made a trip to Pearl Harbor but outside of that, we weren't too impressed with Oahu and probably wouldn't go back. It was a bit too commercialized for what we desire for a family vacation.

During our trip to The Big Island, we got to do some amazing things like stargazing but couldn't see the volcanos as it was active just before we arrived and they cancelled the tours that that part of the island.

Wailua River State Park, Kauai. This was our trip to the "hidden waterfall" which isn't so hidden anymore. I took this picture during our hike in.

One of the special things we tried while we were there was a White Pineapple. I had never heard of white pineapples before but here is a summary. They are delicious and so much tastier and juicer than their traditional gold counterparts. They are also about 4x more expensive but worth every penny. We had bought a second one while we were there but that was it and I missed it ever since.

Our Second Family Trip to Hawaii

I have shared on a few posts including Kauai Chocolate Farm Tour Review: Lydgate Farms Sensory Guide as well as my About section, where I discuss our second family trip to Hawaii, this time where we spent 8 days in Kauai this past summer.

This was such an inspiring trip for me. It was two weeks past being laid off from my company (which it was time as I had been there for 17 years), and coming out of the Cacao Farm tour, it initiated the start of this website. I intentionally let my mind wander, not having to worry about work, and knowing that at some point, I will secure a new job; I dove into being present in the moment. We adventured to tour the Napali coast, ate at a Waffle Food Truck multiple times called, Aloha Liege Waffles & Espresso, and did a rum tour with KAUAI SAFARIS, which was independent from Koloa Rum, which they leveraged their property. All were amazing.

The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: 

"Local farmers, near and far, grow amazing produce, made with love and care that will elevate your sensory experience."

Kauai White Pineapple

During this trip, we visited 4 different farmers markets in the 8 days. One of them, on the Saturday we were there, was the big one where there were about 100 local vendors. We made our first pass of the market just looking around and Emma started walking to the car. We said come back; we are just getting started. Farmers Markets are like Christmas to us. We went around and bought some local salt, local fruits and vegetables, some local honey, and lastly, I saved room for some White Pineapple from Kauai Sugarloaf.

Sadly, this is my only picture of what was left of the Pineapple. We didn't take any pictures of the pineapples, or the farm stands themselves.

The line for the White Pineapples were 20 people deep. They were not only selling whole pineapples, but they were also offering to cut the pineapples for you and give you a Ziploc bag full of goodness. They were offering tastings, which of course I took advantage of, and then we made our purchase of two pineapples.

We ate the pineapples throughout the week and picked up another one at another farmers market later in the week from Kauai Sugarloaf.

Don't get me wrong, I love regular pineapples and eat them all the time, including one in my refrigerator right now. The problem with the pineapples I get from the store, is that they are hit or miss on flavor. I have tried all different strategies to pick the right version, such as picking the leaves off and the ones that come off easy are ripe, or smelling the bottoms, which I am sure I look ridiculous if you see me in the grocery store.

Here is what makes the white pineapples so special. white pineapples are so much more flavorful than their store-bought gold counterparts. If I had to put a number on it, I would say that white pineapples are 100x more flavorful. They are also so much juicier. And as I posed the question in the beginning, you can eat the core, which you can't do for a store-bought pineapple.

Eating a white pineapple, elevates the sensory experience, bringing happiness to everyone who tries them!

With all of this goodness, there is a downside unfortunately, and that is the cost. They are about four times more expensive than a regular pineapple but so worth it. Here is my recommendation. If you are in Hawaii, especially Kauai where their farm is, take advantage of being local. They also offer tours, which we didn't get a chance to do but will offer a link at the bottom if you are interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x1uAVwmXv0

Learn about the Kauai Sugarloaf and why Jude and Paul Huber share their love and care to make a delicious white pineapple.

If you are home and want to taste this goodness, they do ship FedEx. Obviously shipping food 2-day FedEx air is expensive but can be worth it for a special occasion. I will drop the link below as well.

For the history buffs, we got a small bit of history while we were there which was that White and Gold Pineapples were grown at the same time but Dole, the major manufacturer at the time in Hawaii, couldn't process the white pineapples as effectively. As a result, they pretty much just abandoned the white pineapples to focus on gold. This left the local Kauai farming community to produce and sell it locally themselves...which I am so glad they did.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat the core of a white pineapple?

Yes, the core is edible unlike that of its relative, the yellow or gold pineapple.

Do other Hawaiian Islands other than Kauai sell white pineapples?

Yes, they are typically grown in Kauai and The Big Island but you may find them available for sale at local farmers markets across the Hawaiian Islands.

Are white pineapples juicier and more flavorful than their yellow and gold counterparts?

Yes! I would say white pineapples are 100 times better than their yellow and gold counterparts.

Start Your Own White Pineapple Sensory Experience

If you’re curious to start your own white pineapple sensory experience as well as thinking about visiting Kauai, I’ve listed my favorite options below. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments!