a brief HISTORY OF
JACKFRUIT
by Philip McIntosh
Rarely seen in grocery stores , jackfruit is considered the largest treeborne fruit in the world .
Did you ever see any jackfruit when you were a kid ? Me neither , but admittedly , it ’ s been a while since I was a kid . Kids these days have probably seen a few , especially at Asian markets around town . Up until a couple of decades ago , Asian markets were about the only place you might see a jackfruit , but you can find them in some mainstream grocery chain stores nowadays too . They are those green or brown , football-sized and shaped objects in the bin with a skin covered in small knobby protrusions . Nobody knows for sure , but the jackfruit , Artocarpus heterophyllus , is thought to have originated in the rainforests of a mountain range called the Western Ghats that runs inland along the West coast of India . It is in cultivation in many places around the world including India , Myanmar ( Burma ), Indonesia , the Philippines , central East Africa , Brazil , and Jamaica . A few trees exist in Florida , Hawaii , and other Pacific islands . It is not cold tolerant and even a rare freeze will prevent them from becoming established . This fruit has not been in the Western world for very long , only coming to Jamaica in the late 1700s and to Brazil sometime after that . The evergreen trees , which are classified in the Moraceae ( the fig , mulberry , or breadfruit family ) are quite large and so are the fruit . In fact , the jackfruit is considered the largest treeborne fruit in the world . Rarely , some specimens can weigh in at more than 100 pounds , although you won ’ t find any that heavy at your local market . The fruit grow kind of weirdly on the end of thick stems that protrude right out of the trunk or thick branches . The trees are a valued source of wood that has many uses in India and other places where they serve the dual purpose of providing both food and building material . Jackfruit lumber is used to build houses , roofs , floors , windows , furniture , and musical instruments .
The heartwood is considered an exotic wood with a very nice grain . In the U . S . a prime plank can go for hundreds of dollars . One thing working against wider adoption of the jackfruit into Western diets is its stench . It is not quite as stinky as the durian ( banned from public transportation in some places ), which looks a bit similar , but is smaller with more pointy protrusions on the rind . An unopened ripe jackfruit emits an odor reminiscent of rotting onions but interestingly enough , the inside is much more agreeable with a fruity bananalike smell . They ripen quickly so there is limited time to get them from tree to market , even with cold storage . The jackfruit is a composite fruit , meaning it develops from an entire inflorescence ( basically a bunch of flowers growing together in a group ) and not a single flower . When you cut one open , you find many juicy bulb-like segments each containing one seed — each derived from a single flower . The flesh surrounding the seeds tastes something like a cross between an apple and a banana . The seeds are quite large and are a good source of protein , fiber , and carbohydrates . In fact . the high concentration of starch makes them quite susceptible to microbial decay which contributes to a limited shelf life . So , let ’ s say you decided to pick up one of these large , knobby-looking things . What do you do with it ? When ripe , the flesh is sweet and can be eaten raw . The seeds can be boiled or roasted . Before it fully ripens , the flesh is fibrous and stringy and has found use as a meat substitute . The look and taste have been compared to that of pulled pork .
Looking to expand your fruit selection beyond apples and bananas ? Head over to your local Asian market or specialty food store and give the jackfruit a try .
For more detailed in information on jackfruit see https :// hort . purdue . edu / newcrop / morton / jackfruit _ ars . html
48 Maximum Yield