What is jackfruit and why everyone talks about it

Jackfruit is sometimes also called the Indian “breadfruit”, and all because these fruits can feed many and for a long time. It is considered the national fruit of Bangladesh, but in its native India it is thrown away. Но обо всем по порядку. 

Jackfruit is the world’s largest edible fruit growing on trees. They reach a meter in length, and the weight of one fruit can be more than 30 kg. Internally, the fruit is divided into large lobes containing a yellow, aromatic sweet pulp composed of juicy soft fibers. Each lobule contains one rather large oblong white seed 2-3 cm long.

Jackfruit peel with a specific smell, a little unpleasant, reminiscent of the smell of rotten onions, but the pulp smells nice, like a banana and pineapple. The rind contains sticky latex, so it is recommended to grease your hands with sunflower oil or wear rubber gloves before cutting the fruit.

 

Why jackfruit is useful 

Ripe fruits contain from 30 to 40% edible pulp, they are very nutritious and contain about 40% carbohydrates (this is more than in bread). Jackfruit seeds are also nutritious – they contain 38% carbohydrates, 6.6% protein and 0.4% fat.

The pulp of jackfruit is low in calories, rich in vitamin A, sulfur, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. The nutritional value of jackfruit is its main value. But, at the same time, it contains much fewer calories than flour products, so it can be considered a dietary product.

What to cook from jackfruit

It can be eaten fresh, marmalade, jelly, and sugar are made from jackfruit. They also use unripe fruits, boiled, fried and stewed. The pulp of jackfruit is low in calories, rich in vitamin A, sulfur, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. Fruit seeds (and there can be up to 500 of them in one piece) are fried and eaten like chestnuts. 

Jackfruit pulp goes well with ice cream and other fruits and sweets. It goes well with all meat and fish dishes; Jackfruit can also be diced and garnished with savory appetizers such as fish or chicken salads. They can be stuffed with chicken, which will give the meat an exotic, piquant flavor.

In Asia, they learned to make many different dishes and ingredients from jackfruit: curry, roast, chips, juice, flour, ice cream and much more. The problem is that the fruit can only be stored for a few weeks after harvest, so the local population can dry and preserve it.

Jackfruit is gaining popularity among vegans and vegetarians. After all, if you stew an unripe fruit for about an hour, its taste and smell resemble pork. And it is this quality that has been increasing its trend potential lately. Jackfruit is now one of the most popular plant-based pork substitutes in the world.

Why do they not like these fruits in India

Jackfruit has become firmly established in the cuisines of the people of Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh, but India continues to resist. 75% of the Indian jackfruit crop is thrown away. In India, this fruit has a bad reputation: it is considered the fruit of the poor and is not bought in the markets. But India is considered the birthplace of this fruit, and it could feed millions of hungry people.

Recall that earlier we talked about the most exotic types of meat and analyzed why each of them is useful, and also informed our readers which products are becoming the main ones in 2021 and why. 

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