{"id":1443,"date":"2019-10-21T17:26:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-21T17:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=food&p=1443"},"modified":"2019-10-21T17:27:01","modified_gmt":"2019-10-21T17:27:01","slug":"jackfruit","status":"publish","type":"food","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/food-drink\/jackfruit\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Jackfruit?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Jackfruit is one of those foods that few people had heard of until relatively recently but it has seemingly gone from obscurity to hipster-vegan clich\u00e9 before you can say \u201cavocado is over\u201d. However, whilst it might be a regular feature in the kitchen for some, we rather suspect there are lots of you out there still pondering the question: what is jackfruit?<\/p>\n
Well, whether you have heard the word jackfruit for the first time just prior to searching \u201cwhat is jackfruit?\u201d and reaching this page, or you are a jackfruit pro wanting to learn a bit more about it, or indeed you are somewhere in the middle, we\u2019ve got everything you need to know about jackfruit right here.<\/p>\n
Jackfruit is both the name of the fruit of the jack tree and also another name for the tree itself. Or, if you\u2019re feeling like going a little Latin, horticultural or even both, you can opt for Artocarpus heterophyllus<\/em>. It is thought to have originated in south Asia and is now found in a range of lowland areas in the tropics, although it can grow at a reasonable altitude too. It is widely cultivated in many countries, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal and Malaysia.<\/p>\n The tree is a large species that can grow to as high as 25 metres and because the fruit is so big (about the size of an average four year old child!), that as well as growing on branches they also grow directly on the trunk. As well as being grown for their fruit, the tree is also cultivated for the excellent wood it yields. It is used to make furniture, musical instruments and barrels, as well as being used in house construction for frames, windows and roofs.<\/p>\n Much of the fruit and wood is used locally but increasingly the former is being eaten all over the world.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The reason we\u2019re writing this article and at least partly the reason that jackfruit has grown in popularity so much is because it can be put to great use in the vegan kitchen. One tree produces so much fruit over its lifetime that jackfruit has been touted as a potential solution to world hunger. Moreover, in a world facing ever more serious climatic changes, some argue that jackfruit could replace other global staples, such as corn and wheat<\/a>.<\/p>\n But it isn\u2019t the potential to feed the world that has brought jackfruit to the attention of many in the western world. It is the fact that this nutritious and abundant fruit can be used in a number of ways, to create excellent vegan dishes, most notably when employed as a meat substitute.<\/p>\nIs the Jackfruit a Vegan Superfood?<\/h2>\n