During the 18th century in England, the pineapple was widely regarded as a status symbol and was flaunted by owners who would sometimes commission pictures of themselves with their pineapples. Once steamships began importing pineapples from the colonies, it lost its social status and was replaced in the 19th century by what other status symbol edible? The main chemicals responsible for the aroma and taste of this now common vegetable are butylphthalide and sedanolide.