How to eat jackfruit

The jackfruit, a very distant relative of the fig, is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world!  It tastes a little bit like mango, although not nearly as juicy, and has the consistency of boiled celery.  Learn how to eat it below!

 Click on a photo to see a larger version:

Here, Marian is standing below a jackfruit tree.  Jackfruits will typically reach the size of a watermelon before they are picked.
Once the jackfruit is picked, it is split using a machete.  The center of the fruit is inedible, so it is cut out and the reaminder is cut into managable pieces.


Finally comes the fun part.  As this video shows, there are four steps to eating jackfruit.  First, you peel one of the stalks away from the rest of the fruit.  Next, you remove the white strip from the side (this is bitter and actually slightly poisonous!).  Then you pop the seed out from inside the stalk and finally, you pull the stalk off and enjoy!

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Nicholas H. Saadah (saadah@stanfordalumni.org)
Two weeks in Uganda