Have you ever tasted Jackfruit?

I think I have tasted it in Asia and actually think I saw it in a shop the other day - have not seen it before.
I cannot remember if I liked it but probably not or I would remember when and where!

It is an exotic one and do not know if it would grow here in Australia or if it is indeed grown?

by Finy

Was having a piece just now. Its flavour is similar to that of a pineapple when its ripe and can but cooked as an alternative to meat when it is green.

by dwatk

what part do you eat - I cannot tell from photo?

The bright yellow parts. Thats the flesh. There are some large seeds. The edible portion is actually about 38%

Oooh. It looks a little like a custard apple in places.

Does the fruit had a very awful smell, dwatk?

Yes, I have had tinned jackfruit before. Strange thing is, the first time I had it, I liked it, but the second time I didn't. The confusion has now made me forget what it actually tastes like.

by Bryony Harrison

Never tried it. Will have to.

by Polly

No I have never tried it, and I haven't come across it at the supermarket. I like to try new things, but I am not the kind of person who will buy something and try it, simply to say that I have tried it.

by Lluxi

I have never tasted it. I don't think I have ever seen it in the shops

by AJ

I have never had one though I have seen them in shops. Now that dwatk has said it is similar to pineapple, I'm game to go and get one to try.

by Rice

I think that I have tasted this when I first came up to live in Nth Qld over 30 years ago. They are always in the markets which are held on Sunday mornings. It may have been a custard apple which I tried,so I cannot honestly say what it tastes like. I believe that these ae fairly similar in taste, I know that I do not like the texture of whichever one it was that I had, so I haven't gone and bought any of either of these fruits!!!!

by Jules

No I haven't, if it was offered to me I would....but going to buy it makes me think? 'which one to buy', as I would have no idea? ..plus not very adventurous with some foods.

by jonaja

I've never tasted them, but while in Bangkok I saw a sign outside your hotel which asked visitors not to bring them inside, due to their smell I'm pretty sure it was referring to jackfruit.

by Miro

It may have been Durian . . . I am told they smell like rotting meat. (ick)

Jack fruit is one of my favourite fruits and one that I miss here in Australia. They are available during Summer in India. It is edible when both unripe and ripe. Like all things, some people like them, some don't. But some varieties are (in)famous for having a very strong sweet smell, so much so that the whole house smells of jack-fruit.

Jack fruit is best eaten fresh. There are different varieties and tastes vary accordingly. The (ripe) fruit is fleshy and at times filled with sweet juice.

How to buy:
Buying a good whole jackfruit is a skill. It should be bought when it is still not completely ripe. It will have a faint but noticeably sweet aroma. It should be checked by hand for any rotting or soft spots (from having fallen from the tree).
If buying the separated fruits or a chunk of the whole fruit. Look for the colour and smell. The colour should be yellow and not cream or off white and it should be freshly fragrant.

Unripe ones have no fragrance, but when buying them as whole, avoid very small fruits as they will hardly have any edible part inside.

How to eat:
When unripe it is cooked like a vegetable. When ripe, it is eaten as a fruit. The outer skin is prickly and thorny and when cut it oozes a white sticky juice which makes it difficult to handle. Inside, there are lots of thick thread like nests between which the actual edible fruit is nestled. The fruit contains a seed. The seeds are edible when boiled or dry roasted.

Food and Snacks:
Ripe fruit is made into a paste and used in making sweet dosa/pancake. It is also used in making ice cream of the same flavour.
Unripe fruit is chopped and used to prepare savoury curry.
Jackfruit can also be made into chips, thin crackers called papad and chewy candy.
The seeds can be dry roasted with skin on and peel the skin off later to eat the seed as is.

by KanchanN

Thank you so much for that input :-)) It is lovely to learn something new and interesting.

Glad I could provide some useful input. :-)

I have saved it in a word document for future reference . . . :-))))

Only whilst on many trips' to S.E. Asia.
Not that impressed!

Much preferred lychee!

by donjo

Lycheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees. yum yum yum yum.

I knew THAT would get a response from you, Rice. Lol!

I quite enjoy jackfruit, though prefer the tinned jackfruit over fresh jackfruit. The flesh of fresh jackfruit seems to always be tougher and stringy, while tinned jackfruit is soft (and usually sweeter because it is in syrup).

A good, easy dessert is to mix a tin of jackfruit with a tin of lychees, add ice, and serve in nice dessert glasses.

by Dottie

Dottie, I've never seen jackfruit sold in Australia. Do Asian shops sell the tinned jackfruit? I have seen lovely, yummy lychees sold in tins. (I must try some with ice-cream, or on my cereal.) My husband doesn't like them.

No, I've never tasted jackfruits, but I'm willing to give it a try.

by Diana Nairn