No. 233 - Breadfruit

While ordering food at a grill on a beach in Jamaica yesterday, I watched the cook slice something that I thought might have been a banana and then she threw it into a deep fryer. Later while relaxing in the pool, we watched a guy use a pole to knock something the size of a cantaloupe from a tree. We were told that it was called breadfruit, and they were indeed cooking it at the grill.

Today I learned that breadfruit is a staple food in many tropical regions. 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).

Breadfruit trees grow to a height of 85 feet. They are one of the highest-yielding food plants, with a single tree producing up to 200 or more fruits per season. In the Caribbean, a conservative estimate is 25 fruits per tree.

It is closely related to the jackfruit, which was mentioned in Post No. 30.