Taste is one of those big things we consider when we have food. Out of all the things with food, the taste has the biggest impact because it decides whether the person is going to enjoy the food or not.
Sometimes the taste of food can be on the strong side, while other times, it may not even have a taste at all. Hey, it can happen!
One food people might wonder about is jackfruit. In this article, we will discover what it is, how much it tastes, if you can eat it raw, and finally, the best ways to eat it.
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What Is Jackfruit?
Jackfruit is one of those delicious fruits from the fig and mulberry family you have never heard of before. This fruit grows in Asia, South America, and Africa.
It’s an exceptionally large fruit that can weigh up to more than 40 pounds! However, when you buy it, it’s usually already cut up and peeled, so you don’t have to worry about it weighing so much.
This fruit is green and bumpy on the outside, with the inside being yellow. Jackfruit is extremely healthy and can help with your heart health overall.
Those that should not eat Jackfruit are people who have a latex allergy, birch pollen allergy, or chronic kidney disease.
As long as you don’t fall into one of those categories, you should be fine with eating Jackfruit in moderation.
How Does Jackfruit Taste?
The thing about Jackfruit is that it has a very unique taste when you compare it so some of the other fruits out there.
Overall, the flavor is very mildly sweet and tastes like a combination of a few different fruits (bananas, apples, mango, for example).
This taste usually goes for jackfruit that is ripe and yellow. Now, if the fruit is young and green, the flavor is considered to be neutral.
It might be surprising to learn that for the neutral-tasting fruit, people will use it as a meat substitute.
Part of it is the flavor, as we mentioned, but another reason is that the texture can be similar to meat that is shredded, like pulled pork, for example.
Most people are not going to think of fruit as a meat substitute, but jackfruit is a fruit that can do just that!
In the next section, we’ll touch on whether or not you can eat jackfruit raw. We’ll give you a hint: you absolutely can.
Can You Eat Jackfruit Raw?
Jackfruit can be eaten in many ways, and this includes being eaten raw. It’s perfectly safe to eat jackfruit raw.
You don’t have to worry about peeling the skin or washing it because a lot of stores already have this food prepared in either containers or cans.
If you don’t want to eat jackfruit raw, there are several ways to cook your jackfruit or prepare it in some type of meal where it is raw but not eaten. It just depends on how you want to eat the jackfruit in the end.
This fruit is a great idea for those who are vegans, vegetarians, or just don’t particularly care for meat and want to go with more meatless options.
Tofu and other meatless options exist, but not everyone likes to prepare and eat those.
Ways To Eat Jackfruit
There are several ways you can eat jackfruit. We’ve narrowed down a few options and listed them here. They include:
- Sandwiches are one of the simplest meals known to man. All you need to do is slap two pieces of bread together, put some food and condiments in between them, and there you go. If you don’t want to use lunchmeat. Which is high in sodium, and you can use some green jackfruit in place of the lunchmeat. All you have to do is sauté it for a few minutes and then put it on your sandwiches.
- Sweets are another great option for jackfruits. It’s best to go with the ripe jackfruit rather than the young green ones so you can get that sweet fruity taste. You can use jackfruit for pies, ice cream, pudding, and anything you can think of that is considered to be on the sweet side.
- Tacos are a third option if you want to use jackfruit in your fruit. Instead of using any type of meat, you can substitute jackfruit for it. Just make sure it’s green jackfruit because this has a neutral flavor and can be mixed with spices you usually would use for meat or something.
- Casseroles are another popular food that uses meat that can be replaced with jackfruit. It’s similar to tacos in the sense that you are using a meat replacement. Again, you need to use the young green jackfruit so it will mix well with the other ingredients. This way, it won’t taste sweet like ripe jackfruit does.
Here are the best types of food or ways to eat your jackfruit. There are other methods out there, but we feel that these stand out amongst all of the options.
If none of these appeal to you, feel free to look them up!
Final Thoughts
And there we go, all you jackfruit lovers out there! Now you know not only what jackfruit is but also how this interestingly named fruit tastes.
We also covered if you could eat it raw along with ways to cook it, so you’ll be able to cover all your bases depending on your preferences.
Jackfruit is one of those fruits that you may have never heard of before. Now that you do know what it is, you should consider going to your local grocery store and consider buying some. Hey, you might end up enjoying it in the end!
Not all stores might carry jackfruit, so you might have to shop around before you find a place that carries this unique and delicious fruit.
So just be aware of this if you decide you want to go purchase some jackfruit.
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.