Jackfruit- Zak

The Jackfruit is a large tropical fruit with a yellowish-green, thick, hard skin segmented into small, short spines. Its flesh resembles pineapple , although it is paler cream-yellow in colour and less sweet and juicy. A small hint to help prepare the fruit – put a little oil on your hands and on the knife before you cut open the fruit. This will prevent the fruit latex from sticking to your fingers and knife. Once it is open, remove the arils that surround the seeds and then remove the seeds from the arils, this will leave you with just the flesh of the fruit. It has an oversweet fragrance and a waxy texture ranging from firm and crunchy to soft and juicy.

Jackfruit seeds are encased inside a thin, transparent outer cover. Each seed measures about 2 to 4 cm in length, and 1 to 3 cm in thickness. Jackfruit seeds are white and crisp within and are very rich in digestible starch, protein and minerals.

The seeds can be boiled and roasted, reminiscent of chestnuts, or they can be cooked in coconut milk and served as a snack. They are rich in protein. The name Zak is from the Malaylam word Chakka.