Thanks Sheehan, for the heads up about The Fresh Market. I found the Colada Royale in stock there and bought what they had left.
The Colada Royale is a delicious pineapple. If you are reading this you need to track down a few and enjoy them. However, some early promotional reviews have made bold claims that don't hold up completely. After some consideration, I view this new hybrid as an improved MD-2 with a series of incremental upgrades over Dole's main product. An evolution of the supermarket pineapple rather than a revolution.
Yes, I prefer the Colada Royale to a regular old Dole golden pineapple which I guess is an MD-2. I base that on a like-for-like comparison of store bought examples. The Colada Royale is the best tasting store bought pineapple I have tried, but it's not the best tasting pineapple I have tried. As an imported mass market product, the Colada Royale is picked early and put through whatever phytosanitary processing the government requires for import from Honduras. A fully-ripened, domestically-grown backyard example would show the full potential of the genetics.
The Colada Royale pineapple:-Tastes slightly sweeter than a regular MD-2
-Contains a tangy, citrus note to balance and enhance the sweetness
-Features a more complex, balanced, fruity flavor
-Has slightly less raphides to irritate the tongue
-Does not taste or smell like coconut to me
-Has whiter flesh
-Has a more elongated shape
-Is slightly smaller than an MD-2
-Has a thinner, more edible core
The flesh texture is crispy and juicy at the same time. I find the flavor very appealing, I taste a more refined and less unctuous classic pineapple flavor balanced with some acidic citrus and lime. While not sour, this adds to the complexity and tropical vibe. I really wanted to find some coconut in there somewhere but I'm coming up empty on that.
The overall product is not drastically different from an MD-2. I count a number of marginal gains in different areas that add up to an improved variety that consumers will still find familiar. Like the jump from the C1 Corvette to the C2 body style in 1962. Shouldn't big companies strive to improve their products? Who knows if the general public will pay more for this new product, or if the MD-2 gets pushed to the background like the Red Delicious apple. I'm not sure about the name either, I'm cool with the Royale part (Royale With Cheese, anybody?) but I don't pick up on the Colada... maybe when picked fully ripe.
