Jackfruit or Artocarpus heterophyllus is a tropical fruit that grows in Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. It is a tree with the largest fruit, weighing as much as 55kg and measuring up to 90cm in length and 50cm in diameter. The ripe fruit is sweet and used in desserts, usually in ice cream; the unripe, green fruit has a mild taste and meat-like texture that resembles chicken or pulled pork, making it a perfect meat substitute.

Jackfruit – the national fruit of Bangladesh – was probably first domesticated by Austronesians in Java or the Malay Peninsula. It has played important role in the agriculture of Southeast Asia, and archaeological findings in India show that jackfruit was cultivated in India 3000 to 6000 years ago. The word Jackfruit comes from the Portuguese word jaca, which 16th-century explorers used for the pronunciation of the Malaysian name for the fruit – chakka.
Jackfruit is often used in Asian cuisine and is especially popular in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Southeast Asian countries. Both ripe and unripe fruits are consumed. Ripe jackfruit is consumed on its own, used in many desserts or eaten as a snack, dried into crispy chips. Unripe fruits are often cooked and used in many curries. Seeds of jackfruit can also be eaten, but they have to be cooked, as raw seeds pose a potential risk for people taking certain medications. Worldwide, jackfruit is increasingly becoming popular as a plant-based substitute for meat that can be used in various recipes.

The jackfruit tree belongs to the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family. Ripe fruit is large, has a prickly skin and when opened a milky juice that resembles glue comes out of it. It contains natural latex, so people with latex allergies should avoid it. The outside of the fruit looks a lot like another tropical fruit – the durian. But durian is much smaller, has spikier skin and has a very intense und unpleasant flavor and smell, which is noticeable even while the fruit is still whole.
Ripe jackfruit has a tropical flavor, resembling mango or pineapple and can be consumed without any further processing. Green, unripe jackfruit has a neutral flavor, and will absorb the flavor of other foods it’s cooked with. A common way to prepare jackfruit is by boiling or using a pressure cooker, then peeling the skin. The seeds can be cooked or roasted and have a taste similar to chestnuts, making them the perfect topping for salads.
It can be purchased on Asian markets as fresh, precut fruit. The smell of a jackfruit indicates its ripeness – the stronger the smell, the riper the fruit. Jackfruit can also be purchased frozen, dried, or canned, making it available worldwide.

Like many fruits, jackfruit contains a lot of fibre and very little fat, but also not as many proteins as other meat substitutes. A 100-gram portion of jackfruit has 95 calories, 2g of protein, 0.6g of fat, and 3g of fiber. It also contains a lot of vitamins and minerals and is a good source of vitamins B2, B3, B6, B9, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Phosphorus.

The popularity of jackfruit as a meat substitute in vegetarian and vegan recipes has started to grow in recent years, especially in the northwestern hemisphere. Jackfruit fiber texture resembles meat texture, and with the right spices, it has almost an identical taste. Jackfruit BBQ and “pulled pork” are particularly popular. But, because it only thrives in the tropics, transporting jackfruit around the world creates a significant carbon footprint. And as it has very little protein, other meat substitutes are often a better choice. Nevertheless, don’t miss a chance to try this tasty meat alternative with an actual meat-like consistency, and if you can, always choose an organic product.