Jackfruit

A large subtropical fruit, jackfruit grows on tall trees (Artocarpus heterophyllus) from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka, as well as in Southeast Asia. The tree is thought to be native to India. The fruit can grow to a large long oval bigger than a large watermelon. It has a bumpy light brown, very hard outer skin, inside which are golden yellow segments. The taste is medium sweet and intensely aromatic, and the texture firm to soft but not very juicy; the seeds are flattened black rounds. Jackfruit flesh is not only eaten plain, as a fruit, but also used as an ingredient in savory dishes and as a flavoring for sweets. The seeds are used as a main ingredient in savory curries in Sri Lanka and southern India. The wood of the tree is an important building material, hard and fine grained and bright golden yellow in color.