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Jackfruit
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Also known as Jack tree, Kathal, Nangka, Chakka, Jaca
Key benefits
✦Traditional uses
✦Long before it appeared in Western grocery aisles as a plant-based pulled pork stand-in, jackfruit was already a staple across South and Southeast Asia, where every part of the fruit found its place at the table. The unripe, green fruit was simmered into savory curries for its meaty texture, while the ripe fruit was prized for its sweet, custardy flesh and eaten fresh or dried. Village households roasted or boiled the large seeds as a nutritious snack, and folk healers steeped the leaves into simple teas used to support digestion. In Bangladesh it holds the honor of national fruit, and across generations it has been valued as a tree that feeds a family through drought and plenty alike.
How to grow & use it
✦The full apothecary for Jackfruit
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“You will smell a ripe jackfruit's honeyed perfume before you ever see the spiky green giant hanging above you.”
Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, with some specimens topping 100 pounds, meaning a single fruit can outweigh a newborn calf.
Unripe fruit and bark contain a sticky latex that can irritate skin and may trigger a reaction in people with latex-fruit allergy syndrome. Seeds must be cooked before eating, and ripe jackfruit is high in sugar, so mind your portions if you're watching blood sugar.