Jackfruit

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Jackfruit
Jackfruit tree with fruit
Jackfruit tree with fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Artocarpus
Species: A. heterophyllus
Binomial name
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Lam.
See also: Mangifera caesia

The Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a species of tree of the mulberry family (Moraceae) and its fruit, native to southwestern India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka, and possibly also east to the Malay Peninsula, though more likely an early human introduction there. It is well suited to tropical lowlands. It is commercially grown and sold in these countries, as well as imported around Australia. The English name jackfruit, one of many for the fruit, derives from Portuguese jaca, which is derived from Malayalam chakka.

Contents

[edit] Description

The jackfruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world. Its fruit is seldom less than about 25 cm in diameter. Even a relatively thin tree (circa 10 cm diameter) can bear large fruit. The fruits can reach 36 kg in weight and up to 90 cm long and 50 cm in diameter.

The sweet yellow sheaths around the seeds are about 3–5 mm thick and have a taste similar to that of pineapple but milder and less juicy.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Jackfruit Opened
Jackfruit Opened

Jackfruit is widely grown in South, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. It is also grown in parts of Hawaii, central and eastern Africa, Brazil, Suriname, and in islands of the West Indies such as Jamaica and Trinidad. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh and Indonesia. The jackfruit bears fruit three years after planting.

The jackfruit has played a significant role in the Indian agriculture (and culture) from time immemorial. Archeological findings in India have revealed that jackfruit was cultivated in India 3000 to 6000 years ago. Findings also indicate that Indian Emperor Ashoka the Great (274–237 BC) encouraged arbori-horticulture of various fruits including jackfruit. Varahamihira, the Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer wrote a chapter on the treatment of trees in his Brhat Samhita. His treatise includes a specific reference on grafting to be performed on trees such as jackfruit. [1]

The jackfruit is something of an acquired taste, but it is very popular in many parts of the world. An unopened ripe fruit can have an unpleasant smell, like rotting onions. The light brown to black seeds with white innards are about the 2–3 inches long. People often oil their hands with coconut oil, or paraffin before preparing jackfruit, as the rest of the fruit is a loose white mass that bleeds a milky, sticky sap often used as glue.

[edit] Commercial availability

Outside of its countries of origin, fresh jackfruit can be found at Asian food markets. It is also extensively cultivated in the Brazilian coastal region, being commercialized in local markets. It may also be available canned in sugar syrup or frozen. Sweet jackfruit chips are produced by various manufacturers.

The wood of the tree is used for the production of various musical instruments. In Indonesia it forms part of the gamelan and in the Philippines, its soft wood is made into the hull of a kutiyapi, a type of Philippine boat lute. It is also used to make the body of the Indian drums mridangam and kanjira. It is also widely used in the manufacture of furniture.

[edit] Dishes and preparations

Young jackfruit
Young jackfruit
Illustration of the size of jackfruit.
Illustration of the size of jackfruit.
Jackfruit chips
Jackfruit chips

Jackfruit is commonly used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines. It can be eaten unripe (young) or ripe, and cooked or uncooked. The seeds can also be eaten cooked or baked like beans; they taste similar to chestnuts. The leaves are sometimes used as a wrapping for steamed Idlis.

Unripe (young) jackfruit can also be eaten whole. Young jackfruit has a mild flavour and distinctive texture. The cuisines of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Vietnam use cooked young jackfruit. In many cultures, jackfruit is boiled and used in curries as a food staple.

  • Kathal Subzee: Spicy vegetable with raw jackfruit from Uttar Pradesh or Punjab, India.
  • Pilakkai Kandbu and Dosa: Sweet dishes made with ripe jackfruit from Mangalore, India.
  • Gujjeda Kajipu: Dry spicy curry of raw jackfruit from Mangalore, India.
  • Ghariyo: Jackfruit sweet dish from Mangalore, India.
  • Jackfuit Pappad: Jackfruit Pappad as a snack from Mangalore, India.
  • Jackfruit Halwa: made from ripen jackfruit a sweet dish, part of Udupi cuisine.
  • Chakka Pradaman: Jackfruit pudding from Kerala, India.
  • Enchorer Torkari: Curry made from unripe jackfruit from West Bengal, India.
  • Chakka Varatti: Jackfruit Jam from Kerala, India.
  • Chakka Vattal: Jackfruit Chips from Kerala, India.
  • Panasa Koora/Panasa Pottu Koora: Traditional Jackfruit Curry made from unripe jackfruit from coastal Andhra, India.[1]
  • Gudeg: traditional dish from Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia.
  • Lodeh: traditional Indonesian vegetable dish with coconut milk.
  • Gule Nangka: traditional Indonesia spicy curry Indonesia.
  • Raithey: sour curry with boiled young jackfruit, raw mango & raw papaya part of Navayath cuisine from Bhatkal,Karnataka, India.
  • Fansa Nevaryo: Navayath sweet dish of rice ground with ripen jackfruit stuffed with coconut and jaggery and steamed after wrapping in banyan leaves from Bhatkal,Karnataka, India.
  • Humba Nangka:curry made from unripe jackfruit and coconut milk Bohol, Philippines.
  • Gatti or Gidde in Tulu where ripe jackfruit is ground with rava to form thick paste which is put on a teak wood leaf and then cooked in steam. The gidde is ready.
  • An optional ingredient in Sayur asam (Indonesian clear soup; the name means tamarind vegetables)
  • Also ingredient in Indonesian traditional Minangkabau cuisine.
  • Jackfruit salad: Vietnamese dish with boiled young jackfruit.
  • Kiri Kos: A creamy jackfruit curry cooked with coconut milk from Sri Lanka.
  • Polos Ambul: Tender jackfuits cooked with spices from Sri Lanka.
  • Kalupol Maluwa: Jackfruit nuts cooked with spices and mixed with scraped coconut from Sri Lanka.
  • Fanas Poli: Sun dried Jackfruit pulp with sugar from Konkan.

[edit] Other preparations:

  • Jackfruit chips (e.g. Nafiri brand from Surabaya, Indonesia)
  • Asian ice desserts (including Indonesian & Filipino)
  • Turon, a Filipino dessert made of banana and jackfruit wrapped in an eggroll wrapper
  • Sometimes an added ingredient for cassava cake
  • An optional ingredient in kolak (an Indonesian mung bean and coconut based dessert).
  • It is thought that jackfruit is the basis for the flavour of Juicy Fruit chewing gum.
  • Jackfruit candy
  • Vitamin Water sells a jackfruit–guava (b+ theanine) beverage
  • Jackfruit smoothies or milkshakes
  • Atu Kos: Smoked jackfuit – a way of preserving it, to use during non-season in Sri Lanka.

[edit] Names

Jaca tree in Brazil
Jaca tree in Brazil
A variety of Jackfruits, called "koozha Chakka", found widely in the Southerm Indian state of Kerala
A variety of Jackfruits, called "koozha Chakka", found widely in the Southerm Indian state of Kerala
A kutiyapi, made of jackfruit wood
A kutiyapi, made of jackfruit wood

The fruit is called a variety of names around the world:

South Asian names
  • Assamese: Kothal
  • Bengali: কাঁঠাল Cãţtal (National fruit of Bangladesh), Enchor (the unripe fruit, used in curries)
  • Bhojpuri: Katahar
  • Kannada: General : Halasu ಹಲಸು Unripe: Halasina Kaayi ಹಲಸಿನ ಕಾಯಿ Ripe: Halasina hannu ಹಲಸಿನ ಹಣ್ಣು
  • Tulu: Gujje (unripe) and Pilakkai (ripe)
  • Konkani:"Ponos"
  • Gujarati: Phannasa
  • Hindi: Katahal
  • Nepali: Rukh kut-a-herr
  • Malayalam: Chakka(ചക്ക)
  • Marathi: फणस Phanas
  • Oriya: Panasa
  • Maldivian, sakkeyo (only the ripe fruitpulp is used)
  • Sinhala: Kos. Varaka / Vela (in its ripe state)
  • Tamil: Palaa / Varukkai (old Tamil)
  • Telugu: General : Panasa పనాస Unripe: Panasa Kaaya పనాస కాయ Ripe: Panasa Pandu పనాస పండు
  • Sanskrit: Panasam
Southeast Asian names
East Asian names
West Asian name
African names
European and Latin American names

[edit] See also

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[edit] References and external links

  1. ^ Science in India with Special Reference to Agriculture P.M. Tamboli and Y.L. Nene

[edit] External links