IF YOU’VE BEEN EATING MORE VEGETARIAN or vegan meals, you’ll have come across jackfruit – the hot new plantbased meat substitute sweeping the UK. Yes, it’s a fruit and when ripe it tastes sweet, but it’s the unripe fruit with a more neutral flavour that makes it a stand-in for shredded chicken or pulled pork in savoury dishes. This large green tropical fruit, originally from south-western India, is now grown in the world’s hot spots, from Australia to Florida.
Although it can be used as a meat substitute because of its texture, it’s important to remember it’s low in protein and is generally fairly low down in the nutritional pecking order.