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Jackfruit: the latest superfood - 3rd July 2020

Green and spiky with a strong sweet smell, jackfruit has become the latest superfood.

It’s been part of the South Asian diet for centuries. It grows so abundantly that tonnes of it would go to waste every year.

But now India, the world’s biggest producer of jackfruit, is cashing in on its popularity. Jackfruit is a superfood meat alternative.

Chefs love it for its versatility. When ripe it can be used to make cakes, juices, ice cream and crisps. When unripe it can be added to curries, fried, minced or sautéed. In the West, it’s used for burgers, tacos and even cutlets.

But it’s not just vegans and vegetarians who love it. Apparently, even meat-eaters can’t get enough of it. And its health benefits are only just being investigated.

James Josep is the founder of Jackfruit 365, which produces jackfruit flour.

Josep: "Jackfruit is one of the most under-researched superfoods in the world. Nobody has paid attention to jackfruit."

"So for example, 30 grams of jackfruit flour has one gram of pectin. That is the equivalent of three apples. An apple a day keeps the doctor away because of pectin.”