--- On Thu, 6/5/08, ranjini kamath <ranj...@gmail.com> wrote:
The Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a species of tree of the mulberry family (Moraceae) and its fruit, native to southwestern India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka, and possibly also east to the Malay Peninsula, though more likely an early human introduction there. It is well suited to tropical lowlands. It is commercially grown and sold in these countries, as well as imported around Australia. The English name jackfruit, one of many for the fruit, derives from Portuguese jaca, which is derived from Malayalam chakka.
The jackfruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world. Its fruit is seldom less than about 25 cm in diameter. Even a relatively thin tree (circa 10 cm diameter) can bear large fruit. The fruits can reach 36 kg in weight and up to 90 cm long and 50 cm in diameter.
The sweet yellow sheaths around the seeds are about 3–5 mm thick and have a taste similar to that of pineapple but milder and less juicy.
The jackfruit is something of an acquired taste, but it is very popular in many parts of the world. An unopened ripe fruit can have an unpleasant smell, like rotting onions. The light brown to black seeds with white innards are about the 2–3 inches long. People often oil their hands with coconut oil, or paraffin before preparing jackfruit, as the rest of the fruit is a loose white mass that bleeds a milky, sticky sap often used as glue.
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