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FOOD making carbs count
Jack it up!
Meet the fruit that thinks it's a vegetable.
When is a fruit not a
fruit? When it's a
jackfruit! This spiky
green giant which
has become prized for its versatility
and ability to masquerade as meat
is unique in being able to transform
itself from a savoury foodstuff in
the early stages of growth into
something sweeter in ripened old
age. Although this exotic tree fruit
has been cultivated for centuries
across the continents of Asia, Africa,
and South America, it's only in the
last few years that jackfruit has
found its place amongst the ranks
of supercool, superfoods such as
turmeric, avocado, goji berries and
chia seeds.
Artocarpus heterophyllus aka Jak
tree or just Jak, originates from the
tropical jungles of South India and
is related to the trees that produce
breadfruit, mulberries, and figs, but
not to be confused with durian, a
similar looking but slightly smaller
fruit. The evergreen Jackfruit tree
can grow up to a height of 20 metres
and also lays claim to growing the
biggest tree fruits in the world. A
single mature tree can produce
around 200 fruits a year and some
of these weigh in at an astonishing
35 kilos - that's similar to a very
overweight suitcase. With this in
mind, it's probably a good idea to
avoid walking under a Jackfruit tree
on a windy day.
Versatility
Jackfruit has a tough, spiky green
skin which yellows as it matures. In
its unripened, young, or green stage,
it is popular in South and South East
Asian dishes such as stews, curries,
stir frys or in wraps. The jackfruit
is revered as 'the fruit that saved
Sri Lanka' during difficult years of
deprivation, and famine and was
eventually adopted as the national
fruit. It is also the national fruit of
Bangladesh and the regional fruit
of the Indian states of Kerala and
Tamil Nadu.
Over the last two or three years
it has soared in popularity in the UK
as a vegan version of pulled pork or
chicken and can now be found as a
meat substitute in restaurants, delis
and sandwich shops. It is valued for
its versatility, texture and for the
way the unripened flesh absorbs
whatever you add to it. When a
jackfruit ripens it gives off quite a
pungent smell and shapeshifts to
reveal a sweeter nature. It becomes
soft and the pulp inside turns yellow
and can be eaten raw like a mango
or cooked in deserts. It also contains
large seeds that are edible.
Since joining the ranks of the
superfoods, jackfruit 'meat' is now
widely available in the UK either
frozen, dried or in tins. You can also
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