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Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

businessinsider.com

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Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#11

Post by vivin »

Not popular in India? News to me. Maybe not all over India. But in Kerala, the state I am from, Jackfruit is pretty popular there and is used to make a wide variety of dishes. My grandparents house has many jackfruit trees and we always had jackfruit to eat.

It tastes nothing like pulled pork to me though. It's mainly sweet and very slightly tangy/sour. Fresh jackfruit has a kind of "crunch" to it. I can't really describe the flavor without being self-referential... I mean, it kinda tastes like... jackfruit. Or maybe like pineapple mixed with banana?

The smell can be overwhelming, especially when it goes bad. But it's not that bad when it's fresh.

Oh and that sticky stuff is really sticky - hard to get off your clothes or your hands.

Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#12

Post by mfoy_ »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #9

I live in Florida, and sometimes as I drive throughout the state and see the hundreds and hundreds (though it may be thousands) of oranges alongside the road I wonder just how many go to waste that could be sent to places in need, and then I wonder if there's other places that do the same... Most of the United States is uninhabited, so I always wonder how much vegetation is just sitting there that could feed others.…

Forget the ones by the road. Your mind would be blown if you knew how much produce was discarded right out of the gate, even from the farm, simply because it doesn't look quite right.

Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#13

Post by louhike »

coreyoconnor wrote: post #3

Doesn't taste like pulled pork to me. To me the flavor is bubblegum pineapple. Which is fantastic! Ranch 99 will have Jackfruit on occasion. Wear latex gloves while cutting. The "latex like substance" is in the white pith of the fruit. There is a lot of the stuff and it's really, really sticky.

It tasted like banana for me. But yeah, definitely not pullpork. I ate a lot of those in India, I really loved it with fresh mango (I never eat imported ones now). I remember we bought a whole pre cutted fruit with friends after a 2 hours walk in the mountains (close to Kodaikanal, a beautiful place). It was far bigger than the one in the video. The trees are really impressive.

Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#14

Post by flatline »

supdog wrote: post #10

USDA zone 9b or warmer. If you are looking for a versitile, exotic fruit with high protein content that will grow outdoors in many cooler climates, check out the pawpaw: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba

We just had a local pawpaw festival, I had no idea such a fruit existed - like a cross between a banana, mango, and papaya, but growing plentifully at 42 degrees north.

Apparently they have a short shelf-life - the fruit must be eaten or preserved within a couple days of being picked. But they are quite tasty.

Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#15

Post by louhike »

vivin wrote: post #11

Not popular in India? News to me. Maybe not all over India. But in Kerala, the state I am from, Jackfruit is pretty popular there and is used to make a wide variety of dishes. My grandparents house has many jackfruit trees and we always had jackfruit to eat. It tastes nothing like pulled pork to me though. It's mainly sweet and very slightly tangy/sour. Fresh jackfruit has a kind of "crunch" to it. I can't really des…

> "Not popular in India? News to me."

Yeah, you could find them everywhere in Karnataka and most of the states I went to in the South.

Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#16

Post by sremani »

coreyoconnor wrote: post #3

Doesn't taste like pulled pork to me. To me the flavor is bubblegum pineapple. Which is fantastic! Ranch 99 will have Jackfruit on occasion. Wear latex gloves while cutting. The "latex like substance" is in the white pith of the fruit. There is a lot of the stuff and it's really, really sticky.

You are describing the taste after the fruit ripened. Before it is ripe (in raw), "stuff" when cut would look like pulled pork. From my little experience with pork, I do not agree with the conclusion about the taste, but it does look a bit like it.

Jack fruit Curry, tastes Awesome!!! http://www.blendwithspices.com/2011/12/andhra-panasa-pottu-k...

Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#18

Post by logfromblammo »

coreyoconnor wrote: post #3

Doesn't taste like pulled pork to me. To me the flavor is bubblegum pineapple. Which is fantastic! Ranch 99 will have Jackfruit on occasion. Wear latex gloves while cutting. The "latex like substance" is in the white pith of the fruit. There is a lot of the stuff and it's really, really sticky.

The latex is what makes it a real pain in the ass to prepare fresh.

It is also much easier to find in cans in the U.S. than as whole fresh fruit.

I agree with the flavor being characterized as bubblegum pineapple. Maybe a bit banana-ish. I enjoy it, myself, but the rest of the family thinks it smells bad and tastes odd. It has never crossed my mind that it might resemble pulled pork in any way.

And for a "poor man's fruit", it is certainly very expensive to lay hands on outside of its normal growing range.

Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#19

Post by harichinnan »

Climbing up a jackfruit tree and carefully bringing the fruit down without getting eaten alive by ants is a feat of endurance. Jackfruit trees grow tall and the fruits are heavy, 30+ pounds on average. Also plucking the bulbs out of the fruit is a laborious task. This is truly a fruit of love to be savored from the backyard garden and rarely farmed at a large scale. Also eating too many raw bulbs causes stomach upsets in most people and is most commonly consumed as a well cooked dessert.

Re: Jackfruit could save millions from starvation

#20

Post by loco5niner »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #9

I live in Florida, and sometimes as I drive throughout the state and see the hundreds and hundreds (though it may be thousands) of oranges alongside the road I wonder just how many go to waste that could be sent to places in need, and then I wonder if there's other places that do the same... Most of the United States is uninhabited, so I always wonder how much vegetation is just sitting there that could feed others.…

This idea has been around for a while. Gleaning provides an opportunity for people to help themselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleaning
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