WTF: What's That Food?

The jackfruit

As I am typing this, I sit here munching on some fresh jackfruit in a bowl beside me. The bowl is running low and I am tempted to get a second portion. I am certain that I will.

Story time:

My friends (including The Muscle of the Soul) were trying to figure out which of these cool vegan restaurants to go to for dinner. After checking out the menu, I got them all to agree on going to the one I wanted solely based on the fact that they sold jackfruit burgers. I was excited by the idea of a jackfruit burger because I knew I had my own bit of a jackfruit sitting in my fridge, waiting to be photographed/eaten for a WTF post.

The burger was delicious. The restaurant didn't lend itself to the best food photography, as the lighting was low to keep the vibes flowing. The trick to public food photography is to take the picture as discretely as possible so people don't think you are totally lame. So, at the end of the day, the photo of my jackfruit burger did not do it justice.

I have now run into two problems:

1. The next morning (AKA today) I started planning my jackfruit post. I could not convince myself to eat another jackfruit so soon, as tasty as the burger was, because it had a very unique taste and was quite a filling burger.

2. I was skeptical that my little jackfruit had gotten overripe so I did some research and discovered that my jackfruit was, in fact, overripe. While I probably could have gotten away with making a recipe anyway, the combination of problem No. 1 and No. 2 told me the recipe was a no go.

Never fear, I got creative on this one. I was about to give up and post only some links to different recipes below, until I learned that jackfruit seeds are edible. How cool is that?!

Below are the nutrition facts, my first impression, how to make the seeds tasty, and links to mouthwatering jackfruit recipes! Shall we?

Nutritionally speaking:

Your immune system will keep going strong with the help of this fruity guy. Packed with Vitamin C, the jackfruit is where it's at.

The fiber in the jackfruit will help you avoid constipation. Phewf.

Keep your skin glowing with all of the Vitamin A found in here!

Your bones will stay strong with the help of magnesium, which absorbs calcium. You can't have one without the other!

Iron is present in the jackfruit, preventing anemia and helping to promote that blood circulation your body needs. Blood flow helps with hair growth as well - an added bonus.

Anti-aging benefits, like radiant, younger looking skin, are another bonus of eating a jackfruit.

Boiling the seeds of the jackfruit can help respiratory problems like wheezing, so people suffering with asthma, take note!

First impression:

As I said before, the lighting was extremely dim. That made it hard to tell what I was really seeing. The burger looked a lot like pulled pork, which I later learned makes sense because the jackfruit is a common meatless substitute for that very food!

Today, cutting into the jackfruit sparked a lot of confusion. First I needed to search if it was even okay for me to still be eating this fruit. I could tell it was overripe but I figured that couldn't hurt much.

Then I made the mistake of getting rid of all of the seeds. This is what happens when you don't plan in advance. Luckily I had just replaced my garbage so I was able to salvage these seeds without a problem.

As I took bite by bite of this weird fruit, I couldn't stop staring at the piece I was holding in my hand. This strange, stringy fruit leant itself to being eaten like string cheese - I wanted to peel off small pieces before taking every bite.

The texture is somewhat of a mango that isn't quite ripe. I don't mean this in a bad way, just an observation. The jackfruit is a pretty chewy fruit when it's raw.

Speaking of mango, the jackfruit tastes like a combination of a mango and a pineapple. It's a distinct taste which I found refreshing after I got used to it.

How to boil jackfruit seeds:

I'm a big fan of jackfruit seeds. They are a great snack and easy to munch on. I only wish I had more! It was upsetting when I looked down at my bowl and realized that I had devoured all of the bite sized snacks.

The seeds have a nice salty taste (because salt is added to the water they are boiled in) and when you bite into them they are crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside.


Ingredients:

~ Jackfruit seeds

~ Water - Enough to cover the seeds

~ Sea salt - To taste


Instructions:

1. Rinse the seeds in warm water to remove any stickiness.

2. Place seeds in a pot of water. Add salt.

3. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to low heat and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, strain water, enjoy.

Bangin' jackfruit links:

Vegan Jackfruit Pulled 'Pork' Sandwiches - This is similar to what I ordered last night. I'd give this an A+.

Jackfruit Nacho Supreme - This may look like a lot of ingredients but they are mostly spices.

BBQ Jackfruit Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Mu Shu Jackfruit Lettuce Wraps - Fresh!


~ Until next time, keep on eating. ~