{"id":283021,"date":"2025-07-09T16:04:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T15:04:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/what-is-jackfruit\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T16:58:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T15:58:10","slug":"what-is-jackfruit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/en-za\/what-is-jackfruit\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Jackfruit? (And How to Cook With It)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Not sure where to start with this quirky fruit? Here\u2019s our ultimate guide<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Jackfruit
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You may not have heard of this wonderful and versatile fruit which originates from Southeast Asia, but it\u2019s becoming increasingly popular in the UK \u2013 especially among those who eat a plant-based diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to expand your cooking skills and discover more ingredients to cook with, keep reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is jackfruit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Part of the fig family, jackfruit is a tropical tree fruit which originated in southeast Asia, where it\u2019s been a staple ingredient for centuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ripe fruit is yellow with a bumpy exterior, while the unripe fruit is green. Inside, the fruit is full of seeds encased by fleshy pods, which are edible.
Here in the UK, we mostly cook with the unripe fruit which is tinned and sold in large supermarkets.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Yellow-green
Photo by Rakeem Burrell<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What does jackfruit taste like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once fully ripe, jackfruit has a sweet, tangy flavour similar to mango, apple or pineapple. Young green jackfruit \u2013 which is sold in cans in the UK \u2013 has a neutral flavour and has a surprisingly meaty texture, similar to shredded pork or chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackfruit is rich in fibre, minerals and vitamins and it\u2019s great at absorbing flavours, too. These things combined make jackfruit a great plant-based whole food which can be used as an alternative to meat in several dishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add it to sandwiches, curries, tacos, chillies, casseroles and much more (we\u2019ll share some of our favourite jackfruit recipes below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to cook jackfruit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like many plant-based foods such as tofu<\/a>, tempeh<\/a> and seitan<\/a>, cooking with jackfruit may take some experimenting if you\u2019ve never used it before. The beauty of cooking vegan is you get to discover new ingredients and flavours! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some tips to get started:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n