The Jack Fruit

Not many people in the United States or Europe know the Jack Fruit. However, I recently learned that it is consumed greatly across 3 continents, from South East Asia, through India, Africa, and finally the Americas, where it grows and is eaten in countries such as Brazil and Jamaica.

I also recently tried it in the two ways it's commonly consumed. The classic way...when the fruit is mature. It's sweet, texturey, with strong notes of banana, so imagine eating a mango that tastes something like a banana. Jack fruit ice-cream is produced in some parts of India...that must taste good.

Now to the fun part. A few days after trying the sweet version I walked into a restraunt recommended by a taxi driver and ordered a classic chicken and rice dish, but compared to the other times I had it there was a delicious addition to the plate that tasted something like curried artichoke. I asked what it was and got the local name, which at the time meant nothing to me, so I had it written down. Thanks to the 'internet age' i was quickly able to learn what it I had eaten. It wasn't artichoke, but a young jackfruit. Very interesting opening.