I’ve taught as an adjunct instructor for the communication department at Purdue University Northwest for 23 years, and even after more than two decades, I still find I learn from my students, just as they learn from me.
Student Jasmine Maxwell abides by a strict vegetarian diet, and earlier this month, she introduced me to one of the canned staple ingredients of her pantry which has become key for meal preparation: jackfruit.
I’d never heard of jackfruit, but after Jasmine’s heaped praise for this plant-based meat substitute, I was eager to find out more about it.
Native to India and the rainforests of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, jackfruit is produced by trees which belong to the same species as fig and breadfruit.
Picked and prepared fresh, the fleshy texture of the ripened fruit is sweet and favored for desserts.
The canned version of green (unripened) jackfruit, which is what Jasmine prizes for her cooking and menu preparation, has a more mild flavor, and the shredded texture lends itself as a meat substitute for recipes.
Hailed as the national fruit of Bangladesh, neighbor to India, some of the earliest written references to jackfruit date back as far the journal entries recorded by missionaries in the 1600s. Jackfruit is also known as “the pauper’s fruit.”
When picked fresh, the fruit is aromatic, a scent described as musky, compared with the fragrance of the Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum brand, which is my own dad’s favorite chewing gum. Fully ripened, it has a flavor described as a combination crossed between a banana and a mango or a melon or papaya.
Jackfruit also holds the distinction of being “the largest fruit in the world.”
The lofty trees, which grow in lush rainforests, must often grow to heights of 100 feet to seek the sunlight shaded by the canopy of lush leaves and foliage. The fruit can weigh as much as 100 pounds, but the mass that is harvested as “fruit” is really comprised of a cluster of hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of packed tight flower petals, which are fleshy and form the “fruit” orb which is consumed. Since the “fruit” is so heavy, it grows along the trunk of the tree rather than on laden tree branches.
One tree can produce as many as 200 harvested fruits per year and even the seeds, as many as 500 per fruit, can be eaten, often roasted or boiled. The wood of the jackfruit tree is very strong, a sturdy grain, and valued because even termites refuse to tackle chewing it. It takes up to five years before a tree begins to produce fruit.
Singers Mya and Lizzo and actresses Gillian Anderson and Alicia Silverstone are just a few of the famous appetites embracing jackfruit incorporated as a menu favorite, which can be seasoned and prepared as the faux meat to make vegan friendly nachos, pulled pork, tostados, enchiladas and even a pizza topping.
Jasmine’s favorite recipe using canned jackfruit, which she purchases at Whole Foods stores, is seasoning it to cook and prepare as an easy and delicious, yet lighter in consistency, as a flavorful “meat” filling for tacos.
Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org or mail your questions: From the Farm, P.O. Box 68, San Pierre, IN 46374.
Jackfruit Taco “Meat” Filling
Makes 2 servings
1 can (20 ounce) green jackfruit, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced garlic)
1 tablespoon bouillon vegetable paste
2 tablespoons tomato paste (with no salt added)
1 tablespoon lime juice (or lemon juice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Water, as needed
Note: 1 envelope of taco seasoning mix can be substituted for the dry spices listed above.
Directions:
1. Drain canned jackfruit, and rinse very well to remove any brine. Use a fork to separate and “shred” the jackfruit into pieces to resemble a shredded meat and then rinse the jackfruit a second time and set aside.
2. Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the cumin, chili powder and garlic to the skillet and stir briefly, just until cooked onions are coated in the spices. Add the jackfruit to the skillet and stir again. Add a splash of water to the pan if the seasonings are sticking to the bottom.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, bouillon vegetable paste, lime juice and salt. Add about 2 tablespoons of water, or more as needed, to thin into a sauce that resembles the texture of ketchup.
5. Add the sauce to the skillet and stir well to coat the jackfruit. Cook and stir until everything is heated through, and adjust any seasonings to taste. Depending on how well jackfruit was rinsed, a little more salt will help balance out the acidity and flavor.
6. Leftover jackfruit taco meat should keep well in an airtight container and will last for up to a week stored in the refrigerator.
