Saturday, July 28, 2018

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Jackfruit

     This one I think I could have tried much earlier, but I was unsure about whether I'd already had it before--I've done so many of these weird edibles, many with numerous names, that I sometimes get confused.  But, anyway, I saw these in the local Shop-Rite the other day and finally bought one.
     First up, there's the most popular name for this fruit.  Considering it's native to India, the moniker seems suspiciously English at first glance.  But, according to what I read, it's actually close to the original name.  When the Portuguese first learned of it, in 1498, they were told it was "chakka," a Malayalam word.  The Portuguese then altered it slightly to "jaca," and then this evolved into "jack" by 1563.  (Some claim it was named after the noted Scottish botanist William Jacks, but this seems unlikely.)  Whatever you call it, this plant has been cultivated by humans for the past 3000-6000 years.  Jackfruit is related to mulberry, figs, and breadfruit (see my January 27, 2018 post for more info on that fruit).  This tree needs a tropical lowland climate to thrive.  Now, it's been introduced to such areas throughout Asia, Africa, and parts of South America.  (In Brazil it's actually been too successful, as it's considered an invasive species.)  There's some drama about jackfruit, too.  It's the largest tree-borne fruit in the world.  Some individual specimens can be up to 90 cm long (about 35 inches), with a diameter of up to 50 cm. (20 inches), and weighing up to 55 kilos (120 pounds)!  Adult trees can produce 100-200 fruits annually.  It's also the state fruit of the Kerala and Tamil Nadu states in India, and is the national fruit of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
    As with a recent post, bamboo, the jackfruit tree is very versatile.  The wood is apparently termite-proof, so it's quite effective for housing construction, furniture, and even some musical instruments.  And, it's a very popular food.  The fruit can be eaten raw, or cooked.  Some dishes it's used in are curries, as a side, dried into chips (crisps), as a meat substitute for vegetarians, and in desserts such as cakes and custards.  The seeds are also edible, and are usually roasted.  Nutritionally it's an excellent source of dietary fiber, and has decent amounts of Vitamin C and potassium. One website I consulted claimed it was good for treating immune issues, skin problems, and heart ailments, but as usual, medical science has not confirmed these as of yet.  The fruit's flavor is often compared to that of mango, pineapple, and apple.
     The jackfruit I bought was a section, weighing a total of 1.18 pounds (.53 kilos).  It measured 7.5 inches (about 19 cm.) long, and about 4 inches (10.5 cm.) wide.  The outer skin was visible along the edge, and this was a brownish-green, and covered with small, mostly rounded spiky shapes.  The inner pulp was a yellowish-orange hue, and it contained four yellowish "pods," which were the edible fruit itself, and each with a largish white seed.  I'd been forewarned that jackfruit has a sticky, oily sap, so I wore plastic gloves while cutting it up.  (It turned out not to be that bad--maybe when they sectioned it up they also washed off most of the oil.)  I tried mine raw at first, and thought the texture was thick and chewy--I can see why it makes a good meat substitute for vegetarians.  I found the flavor to be rather bland.  Somewhat sweet, but not much.  I thought it tasted quite similar to cantaloupe.  Since I'm not a fan of melons, or melon flavor in general, this isn't an endorsement.  To be fair, the ripeness of the fruit makes a difference in its taste--maybe mine wasn't ripe enough, or was too ripe, I suppose.  Alas, after eating just a small portion, I noticed a slight tingling sensation in my throat, accompanied by a little stomach discomfort.  I'd read that people who are allergic to birch pollen might also be affected by jackfruit, and I might well be allergic to birch.  (Alternately, it could have been psychological, I guess, or a reaction to the fruit's rawness.)  In any event, because of this I didn't try jackfruit cooked, and mixed in with other foods as I'd originally planned.  I've had enough problems with allergic reactions in my lifetime, so I didn't want to have to go the hospital again!  So, all in all, I wasn't favorably impressed by this fruit, but clearly millions of people, especially in South and Southeast Asia, strongly disagree with my opinion.  Price-wise my jackfruit section set me back $2.94, to be exact.


     Also, I recently found out about another story acceptance, in Horror Bites Magazine.  It's due out in about 3-4 weeks, so more details to follow soon.































No comments:

Post a Comment