Foster Clark's pineapple culinary essence (نكهة أناناس) in a 28 ml glass bottle, for adding a tropical pineapple note to cakes, icings, creams and fruit drinks.
The blue heart-shaped Foster Clark's badge on this little bottle carries the words since 1889, and the bottle is barely taller than a finger. The label is bilingual: PINEAPPLE and أناناس over a drawing of the fruit, then Culinary Essence and its Arabic equivalent, with 28 ml at the foot. A screw cap keeps it closed between uses. An essence like this is typically used by the drop rather than the spoon, which is why such a small bottle lasts. As general background, the pineapple is native to South America and that its fruit, particularly its juice, has diverse uses in cuisines and desserts. That is the flavour this bottle is made to bring when fresh fruit is out of season or would make a batter too wet. Commonly, bakers add a few drops to sponge and chiffon cakes, buttercream and cream cheese icings, custards and trifles, and pastry cream for fruit tarts. It also typically goes into fruit punches, milkshakes and smoothies, and into syrups for soaking cakes. Start with a little, mix, taste and add more only if needed, because a strong pineapple note can quickly overpower other fruit.
