Fresh jackfruit.
Long before tofu became known as a vegetarian staple, it was a common component of East Asian cuisine. Thousands of years after its discovery, tofu eventually made its way into all matter of Westernized dishes as a meat and dairy substitute, from bagel schmear to buffalo wings.
You could make the argument that jackfruit is the new tofu – something that people have been eating for ages that’s recently hit the plant-based scene in a big way.
If you’re not familiar with jackfruit, here’s some background. The plant, which is related to figs and breadfruit, is believed to be native to south India, where it grew wild for centuries and eventually spread to other parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Jackfruit tend to be pretty big – 10 to 25 lbs on average, but can grow up to 100 lbs.
Jackfruit is incredibly versatile, and can be dried, fried, stewed, eaten raw, made into jams, and more. Even its leaves and seeds have uses. The only reason that perhaps its popularity hasn’t spread to the west until recently is that it can be cumbersome to work with. It’s heavy, spiky, slimy, and pungent, and if you don’t have the know-how of its various common preparations, you might mistakenly think it’s pretty useless.
So how did jackfruit make its way to plant-forward restaurants in the US? Despite being called a fruit, jackfruit is frequently used in savory dishes and when prepared properly, has a meat-like texture. It’s been used as a meat substitute in places where it’s been traditionally eaten for centuries, like parts of India and Bangladesh. According to Tenderly, jackfruit is referred to as gaach patha in Bengali households, which translates to “tree goat,” and has a history of use as an affordable alternative to mutton.
Some botanical experts believe jackfruit has untapped potential. It’s a nutrition goldmine – high in protein, fiber, potassium, and vitamin B, and lower carb and calorie than rice or corn, according to NPR’s The Salt. Not to mention, it requires less irrigation and work to grow than those crops. For these reasons, jackfruit is being looked at as a possible way to address global hunger.
The Jackfruit Company was born out of this belief. Founder Annie Ryu, while living in India, learned about jackfruit’s nutritional profile and versatile uses, as well as its growing process. Since the jackfruit tree is a hearty, well-adapted plant and doesn’t need to be replanted annually, it’s particularly amenable to local farmers as a crop.
Ryu started The Jackfruit Company as a way to support these farmers by building a distribution chain from India to the U.S. If you’ve purchased jackfruit in an American store, there’s a good chance it was because of Ryu’s work in introducing it to the American market.
Karana is another company that’s investing in jackfruit as a meat substitute made from a low-impact crop. Their focus is on distributing not only to individual consumers, but to chefs and restaurants. Because jackfruit can be prepared so many different ways, Karana has recognized its potential for an exciting raw material for chefs to work with in recipe development. Jackfruit can be made to taste like classic meaty dishes (most popularly, pulled pork) and far more. It’s an opportunity for chefs to get more creative than simply slapping another highly processed veggie burger onto the menu. Companies like Karana and The Jackfruit Company are doing the work of not only distributing jackfruit from tropical areas where it can grow to the rest of the world, but making it accessible by selling it pre-cut, cleaned, and ready to use by those who may not have the experience of those who grew up eating jackfruit.
Jackfruit has also appeared as a taco filling, meatball base, teriyaki bowl component, and menudo ingredient. As chefs and home cooks around the world experiment with it more and more, we will undoubtedly continue to see creative uses popping up on restaurant menus and in cookbooks. After all, it’s highly nutritious with still hearty enough to stand in as the center of a dish.
Over the last few years, jackfruit has popped up at retailers like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods cleaned and ready to cook, as well as in premade dishes or prepared ingredients. Upton’s Naturals is just one brand selling seasoned and unseasoned packets of jackfruit flesh.
As we figure out how to feed ourselves and the world healthier, more sustainable diets, it’s only fitting that we should turn to versatile and nutritious foods that come straight out of nature. Food tech firms in Silicon Valley may be experimenting with some cool stuff, but we shouldn’t forget to look at what the planet already grows.
