What Does Jackfruit Meat Taste Like? (2024)

  • What Is
    • What is jackfruit?
  • What Does It Taste Like?
    • What does jackfruit meat taste like?
  • Health Benefits
    • What are the health benefits of eating jackfruit?
  • Can It Be Bad for You?
    • Can jackfruit consumption cause any harm?
  • Comments
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What is jackfruit?

What Does Jackfruit Meat Taste Like? (1)

Jackfruit is a fruit native to India and parts of southeast Asia.

Jackfruit is a spikey, green-colored fruit native to India and some parts of Southeast Asia. It contains rich yellow pods that have a fiber-like texture when raw and they become sweeter and softer when ripe. Raw jackfruit is sought by vegans as a meat substitute for its fiber-like texture. For this reason, it is labeled as jackfruit meat. Both the pods and the seeds of jackfruit are edible. Roasted seeds have a nutty flavor and may be used in breads, hummus and other foods.

Although it is an exotic fruit, jackfruit is available in the US mainly in canned form. Canning is a process of cleaning, shelling and deseeding the fruit and packing it in airtight cans and heating them to pasteurize the contents. Canning increases the shelf life of a food item. Both ripe and unripe jackfruit pods may be available in canned forms.

What does jackfruit meat taste like?

Typical jackfruit meat consists of the unripe jackfruit pod. It is tasteless and it has a fibrous texture. You can cook it by boiling it, grilling it or including it in a curry dish. Jackfruit meat takes on the flavor of the spices that it is cooked with. Given its fibrous texture, unripe jackfruit is used in veggie patties, vegan burgers and vegan tortillas as a chicken substitute.

Ripe jackfruit tastes sweet. The overripe fruit has a strong fruity odor and a sweet, almost pungent, taste. The taste of jackfruit is described as the flavor of apples and bananas mixed together.

Jackfruit seeds may be boiled or roasted. Seeds have a milky taste. Roasted seeds taste nutty and can be used in breads or puddings or simply snacked on.

What are the health benefits of eating jackfruit?

A 3.5 ounce portion of jackfruit contains only 94 calories. It is rich in vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and folic acid. It is rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium as well. Ripe jackfruit is an excellent source of polyphenols like carotenoids, flavonoids, volatile acids sterols and tannins. Polyphenols are compounds with beneficial effects on blood pressure, blood sugars, aging and blood vessels. Polyphenols offer protection against aging and they help maintain the health of the skin and eyes. They also have anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

Table 1. The Composition of a Typical Jackfruit

CompositionYoung fruitRipe fruit
Water (g)76.2 to 85.272.0 to 94.0
Protein (g)2.0 to 2.61.2 to 1.9
Fat (g)0.1 to 0.60.1 to 0.4
Carbohydrate (g)9.4 to 11.516.0 to 25.4
Fiber (g)2.6 to 3.61.0 to1.5
Total sugars (g) -20.6
Total minerals (g)0.90.87 to 0.9
Calcium (mg)30.0 to 73.220.0 to 37.0
Magnesium (mg) -27.0
Phosphorus (mg)20.0 to 57.238.0 to 41.0
Potassium (mg)287 to 323191 to 407
Sodium (mg)3.0 to 35.02.0 to 41.0
Iron (mg)0.4 to 1.90.5 to 1.1
Vitamin A (IU)30175 to 540
Thiamine (mg)0.05 to 0.150.03 to 0.09
Riboflavin (mg)0.05 to 0.20.05 to 0.4
Vitamin C (mg)12.0 to 14.07.0 to 10.0
Energy (KJ)50 to 21088 to 410

Can jackfruit consumption cause any harm?

Eating jackfruit in large quantities may cause unwanted fluctuation in blood sugar levels. The glycemic index of jackfruit (ability to raise post-consumption blood sugar levels) is 63, which is moderately high.

A few people have oral allergy syndrome (OAS), a form of food allergy to jackfruit. This is more common in people who have a history of pollen allergy. Patients typically report itching and/or mild swelling of the mouth and throat immediately following ingestion of uncooked, canned, ripe or raw jackfruit.

Given that the fruit has a high amount of potassium, caution is advised in patients with advanced kidney disease.

What Does Jackfruit Meat Taste Like? (2)

QUESTION

According to the USDA, there is no difference between a “portion” and a “serving.” See Answer

References

Medscape Medical Reference

International Journal of Food Science

What Does Jackfruit Meat Taste Like? (2024)

FAQs

What Does Jackfruit Meat Taste Like? ›

Ripe jackfruit tastes sweet. The overripe fruit has a strong fruity odor and a sweet, almost pungent, taste. The taste of jackfruit is described as the flavor of apples and bananas mixed together. Jackfruit seeds may be boiled or roasted.

What does jackfruit meat taste like? ›

What Does Jackfruit Taste Like? Ripe yellow jackfruit has a subtly sweet flavor, often described as a combination of banana, apple, and mango. Young green jackfruit, on the other hand, has a neutral flavor and texture similar to shredded meat, making it a popular meat substitute in savory dishes.

Does jackfruit taste like chicken? ›

Jackfruit has a mildly sweet flavor to it, and can be used in place of meats in a variety of recipes. The jackfruit will cook down into what resembles shredded chicken or pork, and when sautéed with BBQ sauce and put in a sandwich or wrap, it will have the same texture and is very satisfying.

What is the texture of jackfruit meat? ›

Unripe jackfruit has a stringy texture that looks and feels similar to pulled pork or shredded beef cheeks.

Can you eat jackfruit meat? ›

You can recognize jackfruit by its its spiky green or yellow outer shell and unusually large size. Jackfruit boasts a slightly sweet, fruity flavor. Its flesh has a texture that's reminiscent of shredded meat, which makes it a popular substitute for meat in vegetarian and vegan dishes ( 3 ).

Does jackfruit taste like pulled pork? ›

Does jackfruit taste like pulled pork? Young jackfruit has a meaty texture and soaks up flavor like a sponge. Once it's cooked, it takes on all of the savory, smoky flavors the BBQ sauce has to offer! It tastes a lot like pulled pork!

What is the fake meat from jackfruit? ›

Shredded jackfruit is also frequently used to replace other meats, like chicken. Similar to tofu in that it lacks a strong flavor profile of its own, many people love the jackfruit's adaptability to be used in curries, stews, and sauces. It's especially popular in tacos and burritos, too.

Does jackfruit taste like artichoke? ›

Green jackfruit, which is the type used as a meat swap, has a taste and texture similar to artichoke hearts.

Does jackfruit taste like chocolate? ›

The researchers found that if jackfruit seeds are dried, roasted and fermented like cocoa beans, they actually share many of the same aromatic chemicals that are most associated with chocolate. In other words: treat jackfruit seeds like cocoa beans, and you'll end up with something weirdly similar to cocoa. Amazing!

What does a jackfruit sandwich taste like? ›

If you've never cooked with jackfruit before, it's a funny-looking fruit that most commonly grows in Africa, Asia, and South America. Though I've never had ripe jackfruit, it's said to have a sweet flavor akin to other tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.

Do you eat jackfruit raw or cooked? ›

Native to and most commonly used in South and Southeast Asia, it can be eaten raw when it's ripe or cooked when it's unripe. (If intending to use as a meat substitute, it's best to use the fleshy fruit arils of an unripe jackfruit!)

What is similar to jackfruit? ›

Breadfruit and jackfruit do indeed have a similar external and internal appearance, as they are both members of the mulberry family.

Is jackfruit like tofu? ›

If you've been searching for a healthy vegetarian substitute for meat that isn't the usual soy or wheat gluten products (like tofu or seitan), you may have just found your perfect match. Jackfruit is the rare fruit that effortlessly doubles as a hearty meat substitute.

What to avoid when eating jackfruit? ›

You should avoid drinking water after the consumption of jackfruit as it can lead to diarrhoea. Jackfruit is a high water content fruit that smoothes out bowel movements. So, if you drink water after eating jackfruit, it can lead to even smoother bowel movements and cause diarrhoea.

Does jackfruit taste gross? ›

Ripe jackfruit tastes sweet. The overripe fruit has a strong fruity odor and a sweet, almost pungent, taste. The taste of jackfruit is described as the flavor of apples and bananas mixed together. Jackfruit seeds may be boiled or roasted.

How do you make jackfruit taste like meat? ›

Simply tease the raw jackfruit apart with your hands or two forks, mix with your favorite spice blend (barbecue or fajita seasonings work well), and sauté before serving in buns with slaw or in fajitas, burritos, or tamales (these are filled with jackfruit and drizzled with a bright and fresh cilantro sauce).

Can jackfruit be eaten raw? ›

Ripe jackfruit is commonly eaten raw like other fruits, or it can be used in sweet applications like desserts. Unripe or young green jackfruit can be consumed raw as well, but because of its neutral flavor, it is much more suited for absorbing flavor in savory cooking applications.

Why is jackfruit so expensive? ›

On the other hand, lower market competition provides sellers and buyers with more options and increased bargaining power, leading to higher jackfruit prices. The price of jackfruit is largely influenced by transportation costs, a factor particularly relevant due to the large and heavy nature of the fruit.

Does jackfruit smell as bad as durian? ›

Things You Should Know. Durian smells like socks and sewer water, whereas jackfruit compares to a mixture of pineapple, banana, and rotten onions. Jackfruits are the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, while durians are roughly the size of an apple.

What does jackfruit taste like on pizza? ›

Even though it is not native to the States, it's gaining its popularity in the vegan world. Jackfruit has a meat-like texture and is neutral in flavor. It's a vegan/vegetarian wondrous food that makes a perfect substitute for pulled pork sandwiches or in this case, pulled pork pizza!

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