Jackfruit is my favorite vegetable and fruit. The jackfruit is a gigantic, spined, oval fruit that have been first cultivated in Indian rainforests. It is mostly grown in tropical or close to tropical climates. It mostly found in many parts of India, as well as in most of Southeast Asia. In certain parts of India, huge jackfruit is sliced up and sold raw. It has such a unique texture and flavor, you will either love it or hate it.

The seeds can be boiled or roasted and taste like chestnuts. Jackfruit is, commonly available in most Asian markets. It is very straightforward with a good, not quite crispy surface, and the gentle taste of pineapple and a slightly characteristic musky in taste.

Huge and thorny on the outside, Jackfruit is the “porcupine” of the vegetable world. Once a jackfruit is cracked open, what you will find inside are pods or “bulb”. Regularly referred to as seeds, these bulbs are actually, kinds of fleshy covering over the true seeds or pits, which are round and dark like chesnuts. The fleshy part can be eaten, or cut up and cooked. When immature, it is amazingly similar in grain to chicken, making jackfruit is an excellent vegetarian substitute for meat. In fact, jackfruit is sometimes referred to as “vegetable meat”.

The interior of jackfruit is golden and creamy looking, with each pod or bulbs dotted with large black seeds. The pods or bulbs, which are actually coverings for the dark seeds, can be eaten fresh, roasted, or used as a cooking ingredient. Unripe or “green” jackfruit (unripe it is still beige, white, or golden) is often called “vegetable meat” for its chewy texture and mild flavor. Jackfruit seeds can be roasted or boiled, like chestnuts. Some people leave the seeds inside the bulbs and cook the two together.