If you’re plant-based, chances are you’ve already sampled this trendy ingredient. But what exactly is jackfruit and where has it come from?
Jackfruit’s journey from unloved tropical outcast to unlikely vegan Instagram star has been a relatively swift one. Until a few years ago, this Southeast Asian crop, which resembles a spiky, egg-shaped melon, was often left to rot on trees, disdained as a ‘pauper’s fruit’. These days, however, it’s increasingly used in western veggie dishes as a surprisingly convincing meat substitute.