Everything You Need To Know About Jackfruit

First of all, what is jackfruit?

The jackfruit plant belongs in the fig and mulberry family, and the great thing about it is jackfruit can be a whole number of different things. In parts of south Asia such as India and Thailand, it’s used in everyday cooking – unripe jackfruit can be cooking into curries, while ripened jackfruit is sweet and can be eaten with ice cream. Meanwhile, a more westernised way of cooking it involves making it into a vegan pulled pork. And with people becoming more concerned about how our eating habits affect the environment and climate change, jackfruit has been hailed a “miracle” by some researchers, due to its versatility and the fact that there’s an abundance of them around – not only are they huge (jackfruit can weigh up to 100 pounds and grow over three feet long), but one jackfruit tree can produce up to three tonnes of food each year. Plus, they’re a great source of protein, potassium, calcium and iron.  

Does it have any health benefits?

Beyond its versatility, there are myriad health reasons to jump on the jackfruit bandwagon. For starters, its levels of vitamin C means it’s good for your immune system, helping your body to fight free radicals and protecting you from illnesses. It’s also a great source of fibre, which’ll improve digestion and prevent constipation.

There’s evidence to suggest it may help prevent cancer, too. Jackfruit contains phytonutrients, such as lignans, isoflavones, and saponins which have properties that help fight cancer. Plus, the B vitamins, potassium, vitamin A and calcium will help to boost energy levels, maintain blood pressure and heart health, reduce the signs of ageing and support bone health.

Apart from its health properties, jackfruit also shows a promising future when it comes to food sustainability for our planet. With the huge amount of fruit, it produces, and compared to the resources we need to produce meat, this could be a far more efficient global food source. Plus, with climate change taking hold of our planet, when the planet heats up like it’s due to do, our current crops like wheat and corn will struggle to thrive. As jackfruit currently grows in tropical areas, we know it can survive such heat.

Danielle Neirenberg, president of Food Tank, the non-profit that aims to highlight environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty, raved about jackfruit to The Guardian: “It’s easy to grow. It survives pests and diseases and high temperatures. It is drought-resistant. […] It achieves what farmers need in food production when facing a lot of challenges under climate change.”]

Jackfruit’s versatility promises that there will be a cooking style to suit every palette. But for those who are daunted at the thought of cooking their own, we’ve got tips from author, cook and nutritional expert, Madeleine Shaw, to ensure you get the best flavour out of your jackfruit as possible. “I love using jackfruit in meals where you’d expect a huge lump of meat, so burgers, nachos and stews – it goes particularly well with caramelised onion in hot pots,” she tells us.

Madeleine says that its versatility means that whatever flavour you add to it – be it cumin, chilli powder or Sriracha – it will take on a brand-new taste. “I personally think it’s best pulled and stewed; the longest it’s left in, the better the flavour, and it’s great for soaking and holding in tastes.”

Meriel Armitage, chef at Mexican vegan hotspot Club Mexicana, also has a relatively simple approach to cooking jackfruit, using it in her famous jackfruit carnitas recipe: “Simply cook with salt until it’s a little crispy, before adding two jalapenos, four cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of ground cumin, half a tablespoon of oregano, two cups of salsa, two tablespoons of Mexican hot sauce and one cup of nutritional yeast.” Then, simply add some pineapple salsa and sour cream, and you’ve got yourself a flavourful little bowl.

Is it readily available to buy in your local supermarket?

Contrary to popular opinion, jackfruit isn’t too hard to come by these days. Both Ocado and Waitrose sell Biona Organic’s tinned young jackfruit, while Sainsbury’s and Tesco both have their own-brand tinned jackfruit in water. Tesco also has jackfruit in Thai green sauce and jackfruit in BBQ sauce if you’re not feeling brave enough to try out a recipe from scratch.

Feeling inspired?

There’s plenty of reasons to give jackfruit a go, whether it’s for the environment or for its punchy, adaptable flavour. If you want to try cooking it for yourself, here are 6 great recipes to get you started…