When Eating Pineapple Becomes a Political Act: #FreedomPineapple
Out of nowhere, China decided to stop importing pineapples from Taiwan. A blow to the country, because most of Taiwan’s pineapple harvest goes to China. But they’re handling it smartly: the #FreedomPineapple campaign is calling on people at home and abroad to eat lots of pineapple, making the Chinese boycott pointless.
According to China, there are pests in Taiwanese pineapples, and from 1 March the fruit is no longer allowed across the border because it is a ‘biohazard’. Intense, especially since according to the Taiwanese government there is really nothing wrong with those spiky fruits. They see the sudden import ban as a way to put pressure on the Taiwanese government; the political relationship between Taiwan and China is, to put it mildly, rather tense.
Eat more pineapple
The result: Taiwan is left with a mountain of pineapples. Because although most pineapples are eaten by the local population, around 42,000 tonnes of pineapple remain that can no longer be sold to China. What are they doing? President Tsai Ing-wen is calling on her people to step things up and eat more pineapple. Pineapple beer is also being brewed in abundance, while chefs are incorporating pineapple into noodle soup and shrimp balls.
Pizza Hawaii for freedom
Foreign Minister Joseph Wu is calling on his international allies to sink their teeth into a pineapple more often, under the slogan #FreedomPineapple. In the United States and Canada, the call is being answered on a massive scale. Photos from the Taiwanese embassy in Canada show everyone there tucking into pizza Hawaii and the minister has a pineapple on his desk as standard at press conferences. Japan, Australia and Vietnam are also ordering tonnes of Taiwanese pineapples to help the country, as are Taiwanese companies in Singapore.
Wine and grain
Taiwan is not the first victim of bizarre import restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. Last year, Australian wine and grain came under fire because the Australian government wanted to commission an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.
We’re ordering a late night pizza Hawaii for now (but not from Domino’s…).
Read also:
- Recipe: Fireball grilled pineapple with whisky
- Tingling tongue when you eat pineapple? Not with this tip
- Sleeping in a pineapple castle: it’s possible
Source: The Diplomat, De Volkskrant
