Claim: Jackfruit is rumored to have its origins in India.

The jackfruit -LRB- Artocarpus heterophyllus -RRB- , also known as jack tree , jakfruit , or sometimes simply jack or jak , is a species of tree in the fig , mulberry , and breadfruit family -LRB- Moraceae -RRB- .   It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia and is believed to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of the Western Ghats in the Indian subcontinent . The jackfruit tree is well suited to tropical lowlands , and its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit , reaching as much as 35 kg in weight , 90 cm in length , and 50 cm in diameter . The jackfruit tree can produce about 100 to 200 fruits in a year . The jackfruit is a multiple fruit , composed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers , and it is the fleshy petals that are eaten .   The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food item throughout the tropical regions of the world . Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh .