It is said that the scorching heat of summer is necessary for various ecological processes to happen in nature, as it readies for the rainy season. However, its nurturing spirit provides us summer-friendly vegetables and fruits to help replenish our energies that are depleted from the heat. The jackfruit is one such. This most unlikely relative of the mulberry and the fig is a native of the Western Ghats, though today it has spread to various tropical zones.
The moisture-laden jackfruit, whose etymology goes back to the Malayalam word chakka pazham,is indeed amazing. It can be eaten both unripe, as a vegetable, and as a fruit when ripe. Its seeds, which can be stored to last well beyond summer, are nutrition-dense too. Another remarkable feature is that it is the largest tree-borne fruit, reaching up to 35 kg in weight, with each tree capable of bearing around 250 fruits per season. It is, therefore, not surprising that, in some circles, it is being touted as a tree to cultivate, in every sense of the word, given these food-insecure times, especially in view of its high nutrition quotient.
Ayurveda considers jackfruit, both seed and pulp, to be cooling, nutritious and tonifying. It has laxative properties, being high in dietary fibre, a fact deemed to be beneficial for the colon’s mucous membrane, as it binds carcinogenic chemicals to itself and eliminates them. The bonus is that the high amount of carbohydrates jackfruit contains is almost fat-free. Its simple sugars are easily digested by the body and give us an instant energy boost; moreover, being slowly available, glucose is released into our body in a restrained manner.
Vitamin-wise, our pala pazham is very good news: it is a very good source of vitamin C, every 100 gm providing us with 23 per cent of our required daily allowance; it is also rich in B complex vitamins, especially vitamin B6, as well as vitamin A, besides having a small amount of vitamin E. The ABC of the fruit ensures many things: A contributes to our eye health, B ensures the body remains healthy and active while combating stress and fatigue, and C protects us from bacterial and viral infections while scavenging free radicals. Both A and C have a strong anti-oxidative action.
Regarding minerals and phytonutrients, jackfruit contains a good amount of potassium, 448 mg per 100 g, a mineral which regulates the body’s sodium content and maintains muscle function; it also has magnesium which helps absorb calcium; jackfruit is a good source of anti-carcinogenic and anti-ageing lignans, isoflavones and saponins.
With so much going for it, it is unfortunate that this vegetable-cum-fruit is not so widely used. The Konkan region does have a few specialities such as jackfruit papaddams ; in some states, pickles are made, and in the North, given its similarity with meat, taste-wise and texture-wise, we have kathal kababs and biryanis ; in fact, vegetarians or vegans who go for unhealthy meat analogues should consider using jackfruit. As a fruit, it is used to make ice-creams, apart from being eaten as such, something which is an acquired taste. What better way of acquiring the taste than by planting a few trees in an available private or public space!
World-renowned seed activist Vandana Shiva and Navdanya Director Maya Goburdhun believe in the power of local superfoods. Navdanya is actively involved in the rejuvenation of indigenous knowledge, culture and forgotten foods.
Source : The Hindu
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