Jackfruit has been a favorite fruit of mine since childhood. I miss it a lot as it is not easily available here. The trees are very huge and can go upto 10-12 feet tall. Jackfruit trees are a common sight in coastal Karnataka and are used in many savory and sweet dishes. I remember as a little girl when we lived in a joint family with my grandparents and uncles and aunts, we had  huge jackfruit trees towering our property. Every year during the yield time the fruits were harvested and used for various purposes. Papads, sendige (sundried deep fried snack also called vadam), deep fried sweet pakodas/pakoras, sambar, rasam were the few delicacies that were made. Yearn for those sweet days filled with lovely memories. 

But some Asian grocery stores carry it and I usually store it in the freezer for future use. Raw jackfruit is now available in the US which is known for its meaty and chewy texture and is used in vegan burgers as a meat substitute.

Ripe jackfruit has a typical smell which some people find too strong. To prepare a jackfruit is also quite a task. Before handling jackfruit it is best to apply some oil on your hands because the residue or latex is very sticky and can ruin your countertop and cutting boards. 

Let’s make this traditional coastal Karnataka delicacy.