Jackfruit fruit - breadfruit! Jackfruit breadfruit of the tropics.

The evergreen tree on which this fruit grows is also called the jackfruit. It comes from the tropical forests of India, it can grow up to 20 m in height. It belongs to the mulberry family and is a close relative of the breadfruit tree.
Jackfruit fruit - large, green, prickly grows directly from the trunk. The weight of the fruit reaches 30-33 kilograms, it is up to 40 cm thick. Translated from the local Indian dialect, "jackfruit" means "big and round"

The skin of the fruit exudes slight smell rotten onions, and the riper the fruit, the stronger this smell. Therefore, unripe fruits are often used as food.

The pulp is similar in structure to pineapple, but has large seeds and is colored light pink. The riper the jackfruit, the yellower the color of its flesh.

What are the benefits of jackfruit

Jackfruit is rich in vegetable fiber and coarse fibers, vitamins A, C, folic acid and betacarotene. The fruits also contain trace elements - phosphorus, potassium, calcium. Jackfruit is very rich in magnesium - a trace element indispensable for the functioning of vascular muscles.

jackfruit calories

Due to the content of carbohydrates (about 40%), jackfruit fruits are very nutritious. In Southeast Asia they are called "bread for the poor". calories jackfruit 90 kcal per 100 g, which is 4 times less calories wheat bread. However, compared to other fruits such as apples, jackfruit will be high in calories.
The seeds contain 38% carbohydrates, 6.6% proteins and 0.4% fats.

The peel and internal parts of the jackfruit secrete latex, so the fruit is very sticky and it is better to cut it with gloves or by lubricating your hands with sunflower oil.
Fortunately, in our stores, jackfruit is not sold as a whole fruit, but already peeled and cut into pieces. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 month (in a closed container)

How is jackfruit prepared and eaten?

Tastes like jackfruit dried banana, only crispier. Someone finds similarities with melon, papaya and pineapple. Without a doubt, this is a delicious tropical fruit.
Ripe jackfruit is eaten raw, with ice cream, added to salads, jellies and marmalade, as well as liquor.
Unripe jackfruit is used as a vegetable. It can be extinguished with the addition of white onion, garlic and herbs.
Jackfruit, cooked with spices, resembles meat - to the delight of vegetarians.
An unripe jackfruit is almost tasteless, it is a kind of blank slate for creating a dish with its own taste.
The seeds are roasted and eaten like chestnuts.

While the jackfruit is still rare exotic dish on our menu, but in Southeast Asia it is as popular as our favorite bananas and mangoes.

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a plant of the Mulberry family with large leathery oval leaves, called Indian breadfruit. Reaches 20 meters in height, however, the branches of the jackfruit are not strong, and the fruits are formed on the largest and hardiest of them.

Jackfruit fruits can be called the largest of the edible, growing on trees. The length of the jackfruit reaches 110 cm, the diameter of the fruit is about 20 cm, and the weight can reach 34 kg. The peel of the fruit is thick, covered with many cone-shaped protrusions, emits an unpleasant putrefactive odor, while the flesh of the jackfruit, consisting of juicy yellow fibers, pleasantly smells like a banana. The peel of the jackfruit is covered with sticky latex, from which high-quality glue is made, so it is recommended to cut the fruit with rubber gloves.

An unripe jackfruit fruit is green, fully ripe - brown-yellow, when tapped it makes a hollow sound. An overripe jackfruit has a deep brown hue and quickly spoils, however, in cool place he can survive without losing his palatability about 1-2 months.

India is considered the birthplace of the fruit: in this country, the jackfruit has a similar distribution with banana and mango. The area of ​​cultivated jackfruit plantations is 26,000 ha. To date, jackfruit is cultivated in Southeast Asia and is grown mainly for timber. because of bad smell, which exude its waste, the jackfruit is less popular than the breadfruit.

nutritional value of jackfruit

Ripe jackfruit fruits contain about 40% carbohydrates, which explains the other name of the fruit - "bread for the poor." The plant is also rich in vitamins A, B, C, folic acid, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, phosphorus, as well as coarse fibers - substances that are called "ballast". coarse fibers, present in jackfruit, reduce the synthesis of lipoproteins, cholesterol, as well as the rate of absorption of disaccharides in the intestine, which protects the body from a sharp increase in blood sugar. In general, "ballast substances" ensure the normal functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract.

Ripe jackfruit has a mild laxative effect. Brewed jackfruit leaves, consumed as a tea, increase lactation in lactating women.

Jackfruit seeds are also used in food: they contain about 38% carbohydrates, 6.6% proteins and 0.4% fats. Most often they are roasted like chestnuts.

Application of jackfruit

Jackfruit properties are universal. It is believed that the plant brings good luck - therefore it is grown in many gardens of the Republic of Bangladesh, being its national fruit. Jackfruit seeds are often used as a talisman to protect its owner from wounds caused by sharp objects.

Jackfruit is used in medical purposes: tree flowers are antidiuretics - substances that inhibit the release of fluid by the body. Jackfruit roots are used to treat diarrhea.

Ripe fruits jackfruit are used to make desserts: jelly, marmalade, jam, ice cream or fruit salads. Unripe ones are prepared by analogy with vegetables - they are fried, stewed, boiled or used to make fillings for pies. In addition, jackfruit is great addition to meat and fish dishes.

It is noteworthy that the wood of the plant is not damaged by termites and is not affected by fungus, which allows it to be used as a building material for building houses, making furniture and musical instruments.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Not so long ago we met a very unusual fruit- this is jackfruit , it is also simply called jack fruit. You can find out my impressions about it from this article.

Jack fruit, what is it?

Having visited Asia (Thailand) for the first time, we certainly wanted to see and try the durian, which we had heard so much about. But we couldn't find it. As a result, in one of the hypermarkets we found a large pieces and packed in individual packaging interesting fruit. Mistaking it for a durian, we bought and tasted it.

We were struck by the delicate fruity aroma and the unusual structure of the fruit - it was absolutely not juicy, but very tasty. The fruit consisted of many separate slices-pieces, each of which, as in its own house, had its own bone. It turns out that jackfruit seeds are also edible - they need to be cooked, but we had no such experience! The edible slices themselves consist of yellow fibrous plates that need to be chewed thoroughly. new fruit we liked it. We later learned that it was jackfruit .

The next time we tried jackfruit, we noted for ourselves a certain peculiarity of it - it was very satisfying! After eating just a couple of pieces of such a fruit, saturation quickly came, and the feeling of satiety persisted for a long time. And this is no coincidence, the fibrous structure of the fruit is a source of nutritious carbohydrates and fiber necessary for our gastrointestinal tract. You can read more about fiber from our article.

Jack fruit - how does it grow?

Visiting the local pagoda - Buddhist temple, we decided to take a walk in the garden, which was located next to the temple. It was impossible not to notice an unusual tree: it itself is not very large, but huge green thorny fruits hung on it closer to the bottom. There was no doubt - it was a jackfruit! It is amazing that jackfruit fruits can reach a weight of 36 kg! That's so fruity! Subsequently, we often began to meet such trees near residential buildings. It turned out that for Asians they are a symbol of well-being and health.

Unfortunately, tourists are not allowed to pluck the local fruits, we just have to capture this miracle of nature in the photo.

What are the benefits of jackfruit for the body?

Jack fruit is incredibly useful for human body if you are in Asian countries, be sure to try it! In addition to vitamin C, which most fruits are rich in, jack fruit has the following properties:

— high content magnesium, which in turn allows calcium to be absorbed in our body;

— high iron content helps to increase hemoglobin;

— not a small amount of copper in the composition of the fruit has a beneficial effect on the work thyroid gland.

These and many other properties of jackfruit make it very useful for humans.

How do you eat jack fruit?

Naturally, it is best to use it in fresh so that its usefulness is maximized.

The Asians themselves don’t do anything with it - they boil, and stew, and pickle and even fry! This phenomenon can be explained - the jackfruit tree bears fruit all year round, from each tree a lot of fruits are collected, the sizes of which we already know with you. It turns out that all this goodness must be put somewhere, otherwise it will be lost! Therefore, local residents have learned how to harvest jack fruit on long term. This will be understood by those who have ever harvested apples in a harvest year - and that only they do not do with them - they make jam, compotes, dry them, and make marshmallows and add them to salads. A familiar situation, isn't it?!

The time when bananas or pineapples were exotic is long gone. On the shelves you can find passion fruit, pamela, dragon fruit and much more. Jackfruit is gaining popularity - breadfruit with interesting and useful properties. It is still poorly represented on the market, but is gradually becoming famous because of its enormous usefulness.

What is jackfruit

Indian breadfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus, mulberry family, eukaryotes) originally grew in India. In Bangladesh, this plant has become one of the state symbols. The fruits of this giant (tree height can reach 20 meters, and oval leaves up to 25 centimeters) Europeans called jackfruit. Visually, it is similar to durian, but aromatic and taste properties has nothing in common.

What does it look like

Breadfruit is a huge fruit (considered one of the largest fruits in terms of size) that grows right on the trunk of a tree. It can be from 20 to 110 cm long, up to 20 in diameter, and can weigh up to 35 kg. It is a green oblong fruit with a dense green skin covered with small cone-shaped protrusions. A ripe fruit, when tapped, makes an empty sound like a watermelon. The pulp is yellow with juicy slippery fibers. It tastes like a melon or a banana (taste definitions are individual for those who eat the jackfruit fruit for the first time).

Where does it grow

Although Bangladesh remains the birthplace of the Indian breadfruit tree, the modern area of ​​\u200b\u200bdistribution of the plant is Southeast Asia, East Africa, the islands of Oceania, and Thailand. In southern India, jackfruit is rivaled in cultivation only by mangoes and bananas. The evergreen tree does not take root at higher latitudes from the equator because of its thermophilicity. Its cultivation is problematic even in climate-controlled botanical gardens. Wood does not lend itself to rapid corrosion and insect attack, which makes it an excellent material in production.

Useful properties of jackfruit

The fruit contains a large number of macro- and microelements, vitamins, vegetable fiber, which normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract, helps to remove toxins, cleanses the intestines. Ripe fruits contain up to 40% starch, which is more than in bread. Folic acid, vitamins A, C, magnesium contribute to hematopoiesis. Some experts claim that jackfruit pulp reduces the intensity of the effects of alcohol on the body.

The nutritional value

The saturation of nutritious carbohydrates in jackfruit is high, like in all southern fruits grown in a clean environment. However, you should not switch completely to the fruits of the Indian breadfruit tree. It is important to remember that not every organism can perceive useful elements(carbohydrates, fiber, trace elements) in its natural form. Calorie content of jackfruit - 94 kcal per 100 grams. Other items in the table:

Dangerous properties of jackfruit

In fact, the danger of eating jackfruit comes down to a possible allergic reaction. Experienced travelers warn that any unknown fruit in exotic country You need to start with small portions. What can you expect from jackfruit fruit:

• diarrhea
• vomiting;
• nausea;
• urticaria;
• angioedema;
• chills;
• headache;
• increase in body temperature;
• tremor.

How to eat jackfruit

The fruits of the Indian breadfruit are called "bread for the poor" because jackfruit is used in cooking in any form. An unripe fruit will be green in color and make a dull sound, while a ripe fruit will be yellow-brown in color with a sonorous sound. It is important to remember that fruits contain a large amount of sticky latex. When cutting, you need to use rubber gloves or lubricate your hands vegetable oil.

unripe fruit

The green unripe fruits of the Indian breadfruit tree are cooked like vegetables - fried, boiled, stewed, blanched. Sliced ​​dense pulp is a constant component of salads. Jackfruit stuffed pies are also popular. Young leaves of the tree are added to papaya salad. AT pure form the pulp has an inexpressive taste, but it can be consumed in small quantities.

Ripe fruits

Ripe jackfruit has a bright sweet taste and goes well with any kind of dessert. It is eaten in its pure form, jam, candied fruits, marmalade, jelly and so on are prepared. Fruit pulp slices are used as an addition to meat and fish dishes or as a filling for chicken. In the fruit, everything is used for food: the core, flowers, peel (even fibers are useful). In fact, it is not recommended to eat only strongly overripe fruits.

Jackfruit belongs to the mulberry family. The plant is found in the tropical climate of South (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) and Southeast Asia (Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia), East Africa and Brazil. This fruit is especially popular in countries such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados.

It is safe to say that the jackfruit is the record holder in terms of the size of the fruit, which reaches a weight of 36 kg, a length of 90 cm and a diameter of 50 cm. Their thick yellow-green peel is equipped with thorns.

Ripe fruits are very sweet and tasty. To get to the edible part, you need to open the jackfruit and extract bright yellow pods from the very core. By the way, unripe fruits with uniform green flesh can also be eaten.

Except delicious exotic taste and an aroma reminiscent of the pungent aroma of a banana, jackfruit is endowed with beneficial properties. It is rich in important nutrients(vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, niacin and magnesium).

Niacin is good for skin and nervous system, and vitamin B6 reduces the level of homocysteine ​​in the blood (a relationship has been established between high levels of homocysteine ​​and cardiovascular disease).

And all these benefits at a surprisingly low calorie content: 94 calories per 100 g of fresh product.

Healing qualities

For immunity

Jackfruit is an excellent, albeit very exotic, source of vitamin C, which is famous for its antiviral and antibacterial properties, strengthens immune system, supports the activity of leukocytes.

From cancer

In addition to vitamin C, jackfruit is also rich in phytonutrients such as isoflavones, saponins, and lignans with strong anti-cancer and anti-aging properties. These substances slow down the degeneration of cells, which can lead to degenerative diseases.

For digestion

Helps to fight peptic ulcer and digestive disorders. The high fiber content in these fruits prevents constipation and helps cleanse the colon of chemicals.

For healthy skin and good vision

Contains vitamin A, known for its useful qualities for eyes and skin cells. It also prevents other vision-related problems such as macular degeneration and night blindness.

natural energy

Along with many other fruits, it gives a person energy due to the presence simple sugars(fructose and sucrose). At the same time, it does not contain fats and harmful cholesterol, which makes it an excellent source of strength.

Reduces blood pressure

Scientists have found potassium in jackfruit (approximately 300 mg per 100 g of product), which plays an important role in reducing blood pressure and reduces the risk of a heart attack.

Strengthens bones

rich in many minerals. One of them - magnesium (37 mg per 100 g of product), is involved in the absorption of calcium, which is very important for strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis.

Prevents anemia

Iron (0.6 mg per 100 g of product), which is rich in these exotic fruits, prevents anemia and controls healthy blood circulation in the human body.

Beneficial for the thyroid gland

Copper plays a significant role in thyroid metabolism, especially in the production and absorption of hormones. It's good that jackfruit is literally "loaded" with this important trace element.

If you have the opportunity to include this in your diet exotic fruit(fresh, canned, dried, or frozen), be sure to make it. Jackfruit is a great vegetarian substitute for meat. No wonder it canned in sea ​​water the modification was nicknamed "vegetable meat".

Seeds hidden in sweet pods (bulbs) can be roasted like chestnuts or boiled in water.

The root also has medicinal properties. Its extract is used to treat fever, asthma, and diarrhea, and when used topically, it can help with skin problems.