Jackfruit

Thejackfruit(Artocarpus heterophyllus)is a species of tree in thefig,mulberry, andbreadfruitfamily (Moraceae).The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as 55 kg (120 pounds) in weight, 90 cm (35 inches) in length, and 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter.A mature jackfruit tree produces some 200 fruits per year, with older trees bearing up to 500 fruits in a year.The jackfruit is amultiple fruitcomposed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers, and the fleshy petals of the unripe fruit are eaten.
The jackfruit tree is well-suited to tropicallowlandsand is widely cultivated throughouttropical regionsof the world, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and therainforestsof the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.
The ripe fruit is sweet (depending on variety) and is commonly used in desserts.Cannedgreen jackfruit has a mild taste and meat-like texture that lends itself to being called "vegetable meat".Jackfruit is commonly used inSouthandSoutheast Asiancuisines.Both ripe and unripe fruits are consumed. It is available internationally, canned or frozen, and in chilled meals, as are various products derived from the fruit, such as noodles and chips.
The wordjackfruitcomes fromPortuguesejaca, which in turn is derived from theMalayalamlanguage termchakka(ചക്ക),when thePortuguesearrived in India atKozhikode(Calicut) on theMalabar Coast(Kerala) in 1499. Later the Malayalam nameചക്ക(chakka) was recorded byHendrik van Rheede(1678–1703) in theHortus Malabaricus, vol. iii inLatin.Henry Yuletranslated the book in Jordanus Catalani's (fl.1321–1330)Mirabilia descripta: the wonders of the East.This term is in turn derived from theProto-Dravidianrootkā(y)("fruit, vegetable").
The common English name "jackfruit" was used by physician and naturalistGarcia de Ortain his 1563 bookColóquios dos simples e drogas da India.Centuries later, botanistRalph Randles Stewartsuggested it was named afterWilliam Jack(1795–1822), a Scottish botanist who worked for theEast India CompanyinBengal,Sumatra, andMalaya.
Nangkais another name used inPhilippine Englishborrowing fromTagalogrelated tonangkàinCebuanoand inMalay, both from the sameAustronesian language family.
Artocarpus heterophyllusgrows as anevergreentree that has a relatively short trunk and dense treetop. It easily reaches heights of 9 to 21 m (30 to 69 feet)and trunk diameters of 30 to 80 cm (10 to 30 inches). It sometimes formsbuttress roots. The bark of the jackfruit tree is reddish-brown and smooth. In the event of injury to the bark, a milky sap is released.
The leaves arealternateand spirally arranged. They are gummy and thick and are divided into apetioleand a leaf blade.The petiole is 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 inches) long. The leathery leaf blade is 20 to 40 cm (7 to 15 inches) long and 7.5 to 18 cm (3 to 7 inches) wide, and is oblong toovatein shape.
In young trees, the leaf edges are irregularly lobed or split. On older trees, the leaves are rounded and dark green, with a smooth leaf margin. The leaf blade has a prominent mainnerveand, starting on each side, six to eight lateral nerves. Thestipulesare egg-shaped at a length of1.5 to 8 cm (5⁄8to3+1⁄8inches).
Theinflorescencesare formed on the trunk, branches or twigs (cauliflory). Jackfruit trees aremonoecious, having both female and male flowers on a tree.The inflorescences arepedunculated, cylindrical to ellipsoidal or pear-shaped, to about10–12 cm (4–4+3⁄4inches) long and 5–7 cm (2–3 inches) wide. Inflorescences are initially completely enveloped in egg-shaped cover sheets which rapidly slough off.
The flowers are small, sitting on a fleshyrachis.The male flowers are greenish, some flowers are sterile. The male flowers are hairy and theperianthends with two1 to 1.5 mm (3⁄64to1⁄16inch) membrane. The individual and prominentstamensare straight with yellow, roundish anthers. Pollen grains are tiny, around 60 microns in diameter. After the pollen distribution, the stamens become ash-gray and fall off after a few days. Later, all the male inflorescences also fall off. The greenish female flowers, with hairy and tubular perianth, have a fleshy flower-like base. The female flowers contain an ovary with a broad, capitate, or rarely bilobed scar. The blooming time ranges from December until February or March.
The ellipsoidal to roundish fruit is amultiple fruitformed from the fusion of the ovaries of multiple flowers.The fruits grow on a long and thick stem on the trunk. They vary in size and ripen from an initially yellowish-greenish to yellow, and then at maturity to yellowish-brown. They possess a hard, gummy shell with small pimples surrounded with hard, hexagonaltubercles.The large and variously shaped fruit have a length of 30 to 100 cm (10 to 40 inches) and a diameter of 15 to 50 cm (6 to 20 inches) and can weigh up to 55 kg (120 pounds) – the largest of all tree-borne fruits.
The fruits consist of a fibrous, whitish core (rachis) about 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) thick. Radiating from this are many individual fruits, 10 cm (4 inches) long. They are elliptical to egg-shaped, light brownishacheneswith a length of about3 cm (1+1⁄8inches) and a diameter of1.5 to 2 cm (9⁄16to13⁄16inch).
There may be about 100–500 seeds per fruit.The seed coat consists of a thin, waxy, parchment-like and easily removable testa (husk) and a brownish, membranoustegmen. Thecotyledonsare usually unequal in size, and theendospermis minimally present.An average fruit consists of 27% edible seed coat, 15% edible seeds, 20% white pulp (undeveloped perianth, rags) and bark and 10% core.
The fruit matures during the rainy season from July to August. The bean-shaped achenes of the jackfruit are coated with a firm yellowisharil(seed coat, flesh), which has an intense sweet taste at maturity of the fruit. The pulp is enveloped by many narrow strands of fiber (undevelopedperianth), which run between the hard shell and the core of the fruit and are firmly attached to it. When pruned, the inner part (core) secretes a sticky, milky liquid,which is hard to remove from the skin, even with soap and water. To clean the hands after "unwinding" the pulp an oil or other solvent is used. For example, street vendors in Tanzania, who sell the fruit in small segments, provide small bowls ofkerosenefor their customers to cleanse their sticky fingers. When fully ripe, jackfruit has a strong pleasant aroma, the pulp of the opened fruit resembles the odor of pineapple and banana.
Jackfruit has a distinctive sweet and fruity aroma. In a study of flavour volatiles in five jackfruit cultivars, the mainvolatile compoundsdetected wereethyl isovalerate, propyl isovalerate, butyl isovalerate, isobutyl isovalerate,3-methylbutyl acetate,1-butanol, and2-methylbutan-1-ol.A fully ripe and unopened jackfruit is known to "emit a strong aroma" – perhaps unpleasant– with the inside of the fruit described as smelling of pineapple and banana.
The species has expanded excessively because its fruits, which naturally fall to the ground and open, are eagerly eaten by small mammals, such as thecommon marmosetandcoati. The seeds are then dispersed by these animals, spreading jackfruit trees that compete for space with native tree species. The supply of jackfruit has allowed the marmoset and coati populations to expand. Since both prey opportunistically on bird eggs and nestlings, the increases in marmoset and coati populations are detrimental to local birds.
In Brazil, the jackfruit can become aninvasive speciesas in Brazil'sTijuca ForestNational Park inRio de Janeiroor at the Horto Florestal in neighbouringNiterói. The Tijuca is mostly an artificialsecondary forest, whose planting began during the mid-nineteenth century; jackfruit trees have been a part of the park's flora since it was founded.
The jackfruit was domesticated independently in theIndian subcontinentand Southeast Asia, as indicated by the Southeast Asian names which are not derived from theSanskritroots. It was probably firstdomesticated by AustronesiansinJavaor theMalay Peninsula. The fruit was later introduced toGuamviaFilipinosettlers when both were part of theSpanish Empire.
In terms of taking care of the plant, minimal pruning is required; cutting off dead branches from the interior of the tree is only sometimes needed.In addition, twigs bearing fruit must be twisted or cut down to the trunk to induce growth for the next season.Branches should be pruned every three to four years to maintain productivity.
Some trees carry too many mediocre fruits and these are usually removed to allow the others to develop better to maturity.
Stingless bees such asTetragonula iridipennisare jackfruit pollinators, and so play an important role in jackfruit cultivation.It seems to be the case that pollination results from a three-way mutualism involving the flower, a fungus, and a species of gall midge,Clinidiplosis ultracrepidata. The fungus forms a film over the syncarps which is a food source to both the fly larvae and adults.
In 2017, India produced 1.4 milliontonnes(1.5 million short tons) of jackfruit, followed by Bangladesh, Thailand, and Indonesia.
The marketing of jackfruit involves three groups: producers, traders, andmiddlemen, including wholesalers and retailers.Themarketing channelsare rather complex. Large farms sell immature fruit to wholesalers, which helps cash flow and reduces risk, whereas medium-sized farms sell the fruit directly to local markets or retailers.
Outside countries of origin, fresh jackfruit can be found at food markets throughout Southeast Asia.It is also extensively cultivated in the Brazilian coastal region, where it is sold in local markets. It is available canned in sugary syrup, or frozen, already prepared and cut. Jackfruit industries are established in Sri Lanka and Vietnam, where the fruit is processed into products such as flour, noodles,papad, and ice cream.It is also canned and sold as a vegetable for export.
Jackfruit is also widely available year-round, both canned and dried. Dried jackfruit chips are produced by various manufacturers. As reported in 2019, jackfruit became more widely available in US grocery stores, cleaned and ready to cook, as well as in premade dishes or prepared ingredients.It is on restaurant menus in preparations such astacofillings and vegan versions ofpulled porkdishes.
The edible raw pulp is 74% water, 23%carbohydrates, 2%protein, and 1% fat. The carbohydrate component is primarily sugars, and is a source ofdietary fiber(table). In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), raw jackfruit provides 95calories, and is a moderate source (10–19% of theDaily Value) ofvitamin B6,vitamin C, andpotassium, with no significant content of othermicronutrients(table).
The jackfruit is a partial solution forfood securityindeveloping countries.
Ripe jackfruit is naturally sweet, with subtle pineapple- or banana-like flavor.It can be used to make a variety of dishes, including custards, cakes, or mixed with shaved ice ases telerin Indonesia orhalo-haloin the Philippines. For the traditional breakfast dish in southern India,idlis, the fruit is used with rice as an ingredient and jackfruit leaves are used as a wrapping for steaming. Jackfruitdosascan be prepared by grinding jackfruit flesh along with the batter. Ripe jackfruit arils are sometimes seeded, fried, orfreeze-driedand sold as jackfruit chips.
The seeds from ripe fruits are edible once cooked, and have a milky, sweet taste often compared toBrazil nuts. They may be boiled, baked, or roasted.When roasted, the flavor of the seeds is comparable to chestnuts. Seeds are used as snacks (either by boiling or fire-roasting) or to make desserts. In Java, the seeds are commonly cooked and seasoned with salt as a snack. They are commonly used in curry in India in the form of a traditional lentil and vegetable mix curry. Young leaves are tender enough to be used as a vegetable.
The flavor of the ripe fruit is comparable to a combination of apple, pineapple, mango, and banana.Varieties are distinguished according to characteristics of the fruit flesh. InIndochina, the two varieties are the "hard" version (crunchier, drier, and less sweet, but fleshier), and the "soft" version (softer, moister, and much sweeter, with a darker gold-color flesh than the hard variety). Unripe jackfruit has a mild flavor and meat-like texture and is used incurrydishes with spices in many cuisines. The skin of unripe jackfruit must be peeled first, then the remaining jackfruit flesh is chopped into edible portions and cooked before serving. The final chunks resemble preparedartichoke heartsin their mild taste, color, and flowery qualities.
The cuisines of many Asian countries use cooked young jackfruit.In many cultures, jackfruit is boiled and used in curries as a staple food. The boiled young jackfruit is used in salads or as a vegetable in spicy curries and side dishes, and as fillings forcutletsand chops. It may be used by vegetarians as a substitute for meat such as pulled pork, though the protein content of the fruit is not significant. It may be cooked with coconut milk and eaten alone or with meat,shrimpor smoked pork. In southern India, unripe jackfruit slices are deep-fried to make chips. The jackfruit seeds are also boiled and used insambar(stew).
After roasting, the seeds may be used as a commercial alternative to chocolate aroma.
In Bangladesh, the fruit is consumed on its own. The unripe fruit is used in curry, and the seed is often dried and preserved to be later used in curry.In India, two varieties of jackfruit predominate:muttomvarikkaandsindoor.Muttomvarikkahas a slightly hard inner flesh when ripe, while the inner flesh of the ripesindoorfruit is soft.In Sri Lanka these two varieties are calledwarakaandwelarespectively.
A sweet preparation calledchakkavaratti(jackfruit jam) is made by seasoning pieces ofmuttomvarikkafruit flesh injaggery, which can be preserved and used for many months. The fruits are either eaten alone or as a side to rice. The juice is extracted and either drunk straight or as a side. The juice is sometimes condensed and eaten as candies. The seeds are either boiled or roasted and eaten with salt and hot chilies. They are also used to make spicy side dishes with rice. Jackfruit may be ground and made into a paste, then spread over a mat and allowed to dry in the sun to create a natural chewy candy.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, jackfruit is callednangka. The ripe fruit is usually sold separately and consumed on its own, or sliced and mixed with shaved ice as a sweet concoction dessert such ases campurandes teler. The ripe fruit might be dried and fried askripiknangka, or jackfruit cracker. The seeds are boiled and consumed with salt, as they contain edible starchy content; this is calledbeton. Young (unripe) jackfruit is made into curry calledgulainangkaor stewed calledgudeg.
In the Philippines, unripe jackfruit orlangkais usually cooked in coconut milk and eaten with rice; this is calledginataang langka.The ripe fruit is often an ingredient in local desserts such ashalo-haloand the Filipinoturon. The ripe fruit, besides also being eaten raw as it is, is also preserved by storing in syrup or by drying. The seeds are also boiled before being eaten.
Thailand is a major producer of jackfruit, which are often cut, prepared, and canned in a sugary syrup (or frozen in bags or boxes without syrup) and exported overseas, frequently to North America and Europe.
In Vietnam, jackfruit is used to make jackfruitchè, a sweet dessert soup, similar to the Chinese derivativebubur cha cha. The Vietnamese also use jackfruit purée as part of pastry fillings or as a topping onxôingọt(a sweet version of sticky rice portions).
Jackfruits are found primarily in the eastern part of Taiwan. The fresh fruit can be eaten directly or preserved as dried fruit, candied fruit, or jam. It is also stir-fried or stewed with other vegetables and meat.
In Brazil, three varieties are recognized:jaca-dura, or the "hard" variety, which has a firm flesh, and the largest fruits that can weigh between 15 and 40 kg each;jaca-mole, or the "soft" variety, which bears smaller fruits with a softer and sweeter flesh; andjaca-manteiga, or the "butter" variety, which bears sweet fruits whose flesh has a consistency intermediate between the "hard" and "soft" varieties.
From a tree planted for its shade in gardens, it became an ingredient for local recipes using different fruit segments. The seeds are boiled in water or roasted to remove toxic substances, and then roasted for a variety of desserts. The flesh of the unripe jackfruit is used to make a savory salty dish with smoked pork. The jackfruit arils are used to make jams or fruits in syrup, and can also be eaten raw.
The golden yellow timber with good grain is used for building furniture and house construction in India. It is termite-resistantand is superior to teak for building furniture. The wood of the jackfruit tree is important in Sri Lanka and is exported to Europe. Jackfruit wood is widely used in the manufacture of furniture, doors and windows, in roof construction,and fish sauce barrels.
The wood of the tree is used for the production of musical instruments. In Indonesia, hardwood from the trunk is carved out to form the barrels of drums used in thegamelan, and in the Philippines, its soft wood is made into the body of thekutiyapi, a type of boatlute. It is also used to make the body of the Indian string instrumentveenaand the drumsmridangam,thimila, andkanjira.
The jackfruit has played a significant role in Indian agriculture for centuries. Archaeological findings in India have revealed that jackfruit was cultivated in India 3,000 to 6,000 years ago.It has also been widely cultivated in Southeast Asia.
The ornate wooden plank calledavani palaka, made of the wood of the jackfruit tree, is used as the priest's seat during Hindu ceremonies in Kerala. In Vietnam, jackfruit wood is prized for the making of Buddhist statues in templesThe heartwood is used byBuddhist forest monasticsin Southeast Asia as a dye, giving the robes of the monks in those traditions their distinctive light-brown color.
Jackfruit is thenational fruit of Bangladesh,and the state fruit of the Indian states ofKerala(which hostsjackfruit festivals) andTamil Nadu.