Introducing: Breadfruit!

What bread? Or what fruit...?? Is it a type of bread or is it a fruit?? That was my initial response when my friend, Nathaniel, asked if I've had it before :D "Huh?? What??!! What is that??!"

The scientific name for this FRUIT (yes, it's a fruit) is Artocarpus atilis. To me, it looks like a round version of a jack fruit [nangka in Malay] & taste slightly creamy. No, it doesn't look like a jack fruit on the inside. This fruit tree can be found in the Malay Peninsula of Malaysia, Western Pacific islands, & tropical countries.

According to the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden founded in 2002 (they actually have a Breadfruit Institute!!!), Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a member of the Moraceae (fig) family. This handsome evergreen tree originated in the South Pacific and is now found throughout the tropics. Maturing at 15 to 20 meters tall or greater it can produce fruits for 50 years or more. The massive trunk may attain a 2 to 3 meter girth and depending on the variety; it either slightly flares at the base or forms narrow buttresses. The luxurious foliage consists of large, glossy dark-green leaves that range from entire to deeply dissected. Fruits are usually round, oval, or elongate and weigh from 0.25 to 5.5 kg. The creamy white or pale yellow flesh, when roasted, is said to have the texture and fragrance of fresh baked bread, giving the tree its name. Breadfruit is usually seedless but there are also many varieties with seeds.

Wikipedia adds, they are very rich in starch, and before being eaten they are roasted, baked, fried, or boiled. When cooked the taste is described as potato-like, or similar to fresh baked bread (hence the name).

I've eaten the fried version before, but I can't recall where I ate that. Hahaha. To me it tasted like the fried sweet potato, but it's actually breadfruit. It is sold at the Malay roadside stalls that sell fried sweet potato, fried yam, fried banana fritters, fried prawn cracker, and everything else fried lah. :D

Below are pics of the fruit that I found in the internet. I can't find it anywhere near my office (at least not yet :P )

Breadfruit tree. Photo taken from: http://www.spiritoftrees.org/

Fresh breadfruit. Photo taken from: http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/

The breadfruit (inside). Photo taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadfruit

Fried breadfruit. Photo taken from: http://peacemaking.com/

Hope you enjoy this post! May it inspire you to go hunt for the precious breadfruit!

- Ruth