Once upon a time, pineapples were a sign of hospitality, of welcome, of prosperity so prized people displayed them carved out of wood, printed on wallpaper, embroidered into textiles and more.

First introduced to Europe by the Columbus expedition in the late 1400s, the exceptional sweetness of pineapples was its own version of gold in a culinary world scarce in sugars.

But, does the symbolism translate to sales?

When your product goes viral, is it marketing gold?

“We love this current pineapple revival in pop culture,” says Bil Goldfield, director of corporate communications at Dole Food Co., Westlake Village, Calif. “As the original Hawaiian pineapple grower — and still the only multinational still growing there — it creates that feeling of nostalgia for consumers for the Dole brand.”

Another pot of gold in this category? More than half of the pineapple sold in the U.S. is value-added.

So, while you can offer a consumer a metallic gold pineapple to decorate their bathroom, let’s remind them the true gold lies within “the most consistent succulent fruit in the produce department — bar none,” as Dennis Christou, vice president of sales for Del Monte Fresh Produce, Coral Gables, Fla., puts it.

“First and foremost, the best use of pineapple, especially Del Monte Gold pineapple, is to eat it,” Christou says.