Breadnuts

breadnuts a name loosely applied to the starchy seeds of the fruits of certain trees of the family Moraceae. The most important of these fruits are described under breadfruit and jackfruit.

Some other trees of this family, growing in C. and S. America, bear fruits containing edible ‘breadnuts’. The best known is the snakewood tree, Brosimum alicastrum, whose relatively small fruits usually contain one seed each. These have been consumed in various ways, whole or dried and ground, sometimes in savoury dishes and sometimes with sugar, honey, or cornmeal; but they are not much eaten nowadays.