Breadfruit

The Breadfruit comes from the tree of the same name (Artocarpus atilis), which grows in very warm and humid regions. The starchy fruits are nutritious and can be processed in a similar way to potatoes.

What you should know about the breadfruit

The breadfruit tree comes from Polynesia, where the fruit has long served as a staple food. He is already known there in the 12th century; back then people brought him to Hawaii too. Today there are plantings in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The plant with a broad crown grows up to 20 meters high with a trunk circumference of 60 to 100 centimeters and bears fruit for about 70 years. The leaves grow on the ends of the long branches. The farmers produce 50 fruits each from at least three harvests a year. Since they secrete a milky, skin-irritating liquid, the breadfruit is broken off with long sticks. There are separate male and female inflorescences. The breadfruit (in the botanical sense it is a fruit bandage) can weigh three to four kilograms. The appearance varies depending on the degree of maturity. The fruits are usually harvested raw with a green skin, which later turns green-yellow to yellow-brown. The ripe meat is yellowish and tastes very sweet.

Overripe fruits are hardly edible because they taste sour. The pulp is always fine-grained and creamy when ripe. The breadfruit can be processed into food in any condition: unripe as cooked vegetables, later also raw. Flour can be ground from the dried meat and baked into bread. Some varieties contain nut fruits that contain a lot of oil, which can be used as flour, but are also popular when roasted. They taste similar to chestnuts. - The breadfruit was one of the reasons for the mutiny on the Bounty. 1787 received Lieutenant William Bligh from George III. the order to bring cuttings of the breadfruit tree from Tahiti to the West Indies.

The fruit was supposed to feed the slaves on the sugar cane plantations. The sailors did not want to part with the women of Tahiti and found it outrageous that their precious drinking water should be used to water the plants on board. They mutinied and threw the cargo overboard. Nevertheless, the royal mission was carried out later; however, the slaves wanted to stick to their usual grain.

Importance to health

The breadfruit is a very healthy food. It is nutritious and therefore satisfies well. In addition, because of its high fiber content, it is considered to be digestive. It can help detoxify the liver better and remove other pollutants from the body.

This is also noticeable in a clear, firm complexion. The breadfruit is only partially suitable for a diet for weight loss: the minimal fat content promotes weight loss, but the many carbohydrates prevent it. In addition, there is only a small percentage of proteins. Nevertheless: The breadfruit is well suited as a supplier of vitamin C. The leaves of the breadfruit tree are used as tea in some growing countries. He's supposed to lower blood pressure.

Overall, the breadfruit can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke as the high amount of fiber lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases good (HDL). In addition to the sugar-salt solution, a solution made from cornstarch, salt and water is also suitable for treating dehydration in the case of severe diarrhea. For the first component, people in the growing countries mostly use breadfruit flour. The pulp is able to reduce the absorption of glucose, which helps diabetics. The high proportion of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids contribute to healthy bone growth.

Ingredients & nutritional values

The proportion of ingredients in breadfruit varies depending on the processing. Compared to other fruits, it contains significantly more carbohydrates and less water. The fiber content is also high. The flour obtained from the pulp has 75 percent starch, 31 percent sugar, five percent protein and two percent fat.

100 grams of the raw material have 103 kilocalories, mainly due to 27 grams of carbohydrates. With 68 grams of water, the breadfruit is not suitable as a thirst quencher. The vitamin C content is quite high at 21 milligrams, as is that of potassium at 490, calcium at 31, phosphorus at 36 and magnesium at 25 milligrams.

Intolerances & allergies

Breadfruits are usually very well tolerated. However, attention should be paid to possible cross-allergies that can occur in patients with different pollen reactions. Taking certain antibiotics can also lead to breadfruit intolerance. This also applies to people who are allergic to fructose. You should avoid consuming breadfruit products, although their fructose content is not too high at 600 milligrams per 100 grams of raw material.

Shopping & kitchen tips

Raw breadfruits are seldom available in Germany, but they are available all year round in England, France and the Netherlands. We have a few fruit traders who keep the big fruits ready. There are suppliers of dried breadfruits on the Internet. In health food stores, consumers can buy a variety of products.

These include chips, flour and cooked-down parts of the meat. Raw fruits should be cut into pieces and frozen. They can be kept in foil for about two weeks in the refrigerator. Cut into slices and covered with water, the raw breadfruit can also be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It would be a shame to dry them yourself, as the fresh fruit is something special here because of its rarity. Before preparation, cut the whole fruit in half and remove the thorn.

If it is a variety with seeds, they can be prepared separately. They taste especially good when roasted. If you have a very warm winter garden all year round, you can also pull a tree yourself. The seeds for this can be found on the Internet and in well-stocked nurseries. It becomes about two meters high and must always have a sufficiently high level of humidity around it. In addition, it is important to ensure constant ground heat.

Preparation tips

Because of their high starch content, breadfruits can be prepared in a similar way to potatoes. The ripe fruit is pleasantly sweet and can be enjoyed raw. It also tastes candied as a dessert - fresh or dried. It is equally good with honey or sugar and desiccated coconut. The more popular methods of preparation consist of cooking the breadfruit and processing it into soup or vegetables.

In this case, not fully ripe fruits are recommended. Cut into thin slices, the meat of the breadfruit can be fried or fried. Sprinkled with salt or paprika, the small dish is a popular snack. The flour can be used to bake tasty breads and cookies.