Fruit of the Week: Jackfruit

Name: Jackfruit

Brand: Asian Taste

Place of Purchase: Ames Asian Foods in Ames, Iowa

Country/Region of Origin: Thailand

Price in Iowa: $1.50 a can.

Description: A large fruit with a spiked skin and sweet, yellow flesh.

Flavor: Sweet citrus and flowery. The afternotes are long-lasting, sweet and complex.

Aroma: Unique, fragrant and flowery.

Texture/Mouth-feel: Supple, but firm. Like a roasted pepper.

Notes: I had to try this fruit canned and dried. I could have gotten fresh jackfruit back in August, but not in November. The dried jackfruit loses a lot of the subtler flowery flavors, and is just sweet and chewy. I'm not sure what the fresh fruit would be like, but the canned fruit just explodes with flavors. There is the initial release of sweetness and citrus, but that is followed by a gentle, long-lasting flowery aftertaste. Jackfruit can be used to add sweetness to a dish, typically as a sauce/curry/compote/chutney, or because it can be so starchy it can be added to thicken/add body to a dish.

I'm thinking of using my leftovers to make some jackfruit salsa.