Why do people eat pineapple, etc. on Tu B’Shevat?

mamaleh

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:01 pm

I know, I know: live and let live but this is one of my pet peeves.

Tu B’Shevat is about trees, I.e. plants whose produce gets the bracha of Borei Pri HaAitz.

Why do all the store’s special displays and the specially made platters include foods whose bracha is Borei Pri HaAdama. I’ve seen many examples (melons, strawberries, mini bananas) but the most common is pineapple (especially dried). I just don’t get it!

I’d love to understand the reasoning behind this. It just bothers me every year. Why do the stores put it out? Why do people buy it? I don’t think I’ve seen a fully HaAitz Tu B’Shevat platter ever. They all have dried pineapple or papaya.

Help! Banging head

ShishKabob

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:03 pm

I think because it does grow on a tree, but there's a question if it's haetz or haadama and the deciding opinion was that it's haadama, bananas also grow on trees, same thing.

amother

Amethyst

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:07 pm

We eat strawberries on tu b'shvat, along with other fruit. We do a chocolate fountain & chocolate dipped strawberries are delicious.

amother

Impatiens

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:09 pm

ShishKabob wrote:

I think because it does grow on a tree, but there's a question if it's haetz or haadama and the deciding opinion was that it's haadama, bananas also grow on trees, same thing.

This is how pineapples grow. I don't know how anyone thinks they grow on a tree!

(Bananas are a legitimate question if you've seen how they grow.)

amother

Tomato

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:10 pm

Either it's people grabbing on to the "spirit" of the holiday, while losing its essence, or it's plain ignorance as to what the holiday is really about.

If we want to get stuck on tu bishvat pet peeves, really the dried fruit is silly nowadays, we should focus more on fresh fruit. Also, fruit of eretz yisrael. So much of the fruit sold for tu bishvat in Israel is imported from who-knows-where.

But tbh I don't really celebrate tu bishvat much, at all.

ShishKabob

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:10 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

This is how pineapples grow. I don't know how anyone thinks they grow on a tree!

(Bananas are a legitimate question if you've seen how they grow.)

I guess I confused it with bananas. Thanks for pointing it out.

amother

Impatiens

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:12 pm

mommyla wrote:

Papaya is haadama?

Here's how papaya grows:

It's similar to a banana tree.

LovesHashem

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:12 pm

I did not realize it was only about trees. No connection to flowers, plants, nuts, and fruit grown on bushes?

None at all? I'm really surprised..... 🙈

amother

Raspberry

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:13 pm

There are sources for the minhag to eat many fruits in general on tu bishvat, doesn't specify haeitz or haadama as long as it's botanically a fruit.

peace2

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:15 pm

LovesHashem wrote:

I did not realize it was only about trees. No connection to flowers, plants, nuts, and fruit grown on bushes?

None at all? I'm really surprised..... 🙈

Yes to nuts that grow on trees. It's in the song, after all!

mommyla

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:16 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

Here's how papaya grows:

It's similar to a banana tree.

Interesting! I don’t like papaya so it’s not on my radar. You learn something new every day!

amother

Candycane

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:17 pm

mommyla wrote:

Papaya is haadama?

I don’t think so.
But I have to admit I’ve never seen a papaya tree.
The dried fruit is a throw back to our great grandparents time. Some of them lived in places where fresh fruit wasn’t available in the winter. Especially if you wanted something from the 7 minim or something to make shehecheyanu on you’d have to get it in dried form like a date, fig or raisin.
Does anyone remember getting dried carob?

amother

DarkViolet

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:18 pm

mommyla wrote:

Papaya is haadama?

Two websites that discuss this:

Brachos.org

OU

LovesHashem

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:20 pm

Peanuts and hazelnuts don't grow on trees olives grow on trees and I've never seen anyone eat them davka on tu bshvat....

So fascinating

amother

Forestgreen

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:20 pm

LovesHashem wrote:

Peanuts and hazelnuts don't grow on trees olives grow on trees and I've never seen anyone eat them davka on tu bshvat....

So fascinating

We eat shivas haminim on tubishvat

amother

Candycane

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:20 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

Here's how papaya grows:

It's similar to a banana tree.

Thanks for that!
I saw the picture and thought, definitely that’s an eitz. Then I saw you wrote it grows like a banana so you confused me.
I’ve seen bananas grow and they looked different.
That trunk of your papaya tree that looks like a palm tree trunk- do you know if it regenerates each season?
Your picture reminds me more of a coconut which is ha’eitz.

amother

Pink

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 12:21 pm

mommyla wrote:

Papaya is haadama?

Yes, btw so are cranberries or craizins, huge misconception.