Jackfruit - The jack of all fruits

Nature knows what is good for us in what season and hence provides us with the best of foods through the varying seasons. Summer is the time when we get many seasonal fruits like mango, litchi, strawberry, watermelon, muskmelon, plums, pineapples, oranges, and of course, jackfruit.

Jackfruit is more commonly eaten in South India than in the North. This is a wholesome fruit that is the biggest tree fruit and can be eaten raw as well. Mostly in the North, people prepare subjis with the raw katal as it is called, while in South India, it is eaten raw and ripe.

As in the case of many typically Indian things, jackfruit has gained much popularity recently as being healthy. It is even touted as the meat alternative to those who go vegan. Some love it for its distinctive flavour, and some hate it for the same reason as they cannot stand the smell. If it’s ripe, you can smell this fruit for quite some distance around! In South India, many flavourful dishes are prepared with it, and the whole house will carry the same aroma. Typically, the flesh (pods) and the seeds of this fruit can be eaten, and the rest is usually used as fodder for cattle.

This fruit is packed with many essential nutrients that make it a healthy fruit with necessary carbs, fibre, Vitamins, proteins, and minerals like Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Manganese, Iron and Copper. It has a low glycemic index, and hence even diabetics can eat a few pods safely. It is also a powerhouse of antioxidants that helps our body fight a lot of infections.