I was reading an account of Captain Bligh’s ill-fated expedition and it mentioned his original mission before the mutiny - bringing back samples of breadfruit for Caribbean plantations to raise.
It occurred to me that while I’ve see all kinds of tropical fruits in the supermarkets - stuff like mangoes and papayas and guavas and kiwis - I’ve never seen a breadfruit for sale.
Is there some reason why breadfruit doesn’t appear in American markets? Has anyone here eaten breadfruit?
ulu is a acquired taste…often augmented with brown sugar and butter. Perhaps some pacific islander out there can provide a better review.:dubious:
Hey, not just people from the Pacific eat that. I like breadfruit as well (Caribbean).
In Puerto Rico, one dish they do is similar to tostones, or twice-fried plantains. Fry them, smash them, fry them again. Serve with dips. Yummy!
In Trinidad I’ve seen them incorporated into what can be described as a thick soup. Again, yummy.
I remember reading that the goal of taking breadfruit to the Caribbean was to produce a cheap crop to feed the slaves on the sugar plantations. IIRC, breadfruit wasn’t considered a fit food for Europeans, unlike pineapples, mangoes, bananas and other tropical fruits. This view of breadfruit could be why it never became popular in Europe and continental North America.
(I’m sorry I don’t have a cite for this - I read it in a book about the Triangular Trade that I have on my shelves back home, but I’m away from home now.)
I had read Jules Verne’s description of Ned Land preparing breadfruit in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea when I was a kid, and thought it sounded interesting, but I never saw any breadfruit. A few years ago I mentioned to a co-worker about bringing durian to a party (as I’ve described it on this Board), and mentioned that I’d wanted to try breadfruit as well.
When my birthday came around, I was amazed to find that he’d put a box on my desk. Opening it, I found a breadfruit inside, about the size of a smallish soccer ball. He admitted that he got it for me because of my story. I still don’t know where he found it.
I looked up cooking instructions on the internet. It turned out to be very different from Verne’s description. You basically have to bake it first, then cut it into slices and fry it. There was considerably more “grain” inside than I expected. The end product was not the homogenous pastry-like confection Verne described, but a more plantain-like structured thing. It also didn’t have much flavor. I can see why it never caught on among most Europeans or North Americans.
Fletcher Christian, for one.
Isn’t Hawaiian poi made from breadfruit? I’d guess a lot of haoles have at least tasted poi, even if only at a staged tour-package luau. I never encountered it, although Mrs. B. did at some corporate gathering in California. She hated it.
Poi is made from taro, not breadfruit.
Ah. Never mind, then. :smack:
Is it similar to soursop? I love soursop.
Maybe this is what REALLY sparked the mutiny.
I haven’t tried poi, but I understand it’s somewhat sour. My breadfruit wasn’t sour. It was, as I say, pretty bland.
I never even heard of soursop. According to Wikipedia:
This is definitely not what breadfruit tastes like. Nor poi, from what I’ve heard.
Incidentally, this bit makes me a bit worried about soursop:
I had it a couple of times in SE Asia, but didn’t care for it. Probably because both times it was pickled!
Fresh breadfruit is what Juicy Fruit gum is supposed to mimic.
Note to self: breadfruit is disgusting.
I’ve never had breadfruit, but a friend who ate it a lot as a kid said it is bland and boring. Like white sandwich bread. (In flavor, not consistency. I don’t remember if he described the consistency.)
Yeah, I do not eat the seeds, and only have access to soursop once a year while on vacation. I avoid eating apple seeds as well.
Cite for this? According to Wikipedia, although Wrigley keeps the flavor a secret, it’s supposed to be a combination of pineapple and banana and some people say the flavor tastes like jackfruit.
Poi is a bit sour because it’s fermented. Unfermented taro is a little like potato.
I’m talking about taro root, by the way. Taro leaves are also edible, and taste something like spinach.
I love curry, and I’ve made curry with fresh breadfruit. It was outstanding. It’s extremely dense and satisfying and does have its own unique albeit subtle flavor. I think it’s a good addition to the carb repertoire.
There used to be a breadfruit tree next to the house I lived in when I first lived in Panama. I’ve had it prepared a few ways. Basically it’s just a starchy food without too much flavor of its own. I liked it best prepared as chips, that is, fried in oil.
The only thing it has in common with soursop is that it’s a large bumpy green tropical fruit. It’s in a completely different family.
Jackfruit is related to breadfruit but is much tastier. It’s one of my favorite fruits, but I haven’t had it in a long time since the fruits are too big for one person to eat in a reasonable amount of time. As the link says, it tastes like a combination of apple, pineapple, mango, and banana.
That sounds delicious! Ok, so why isn’t jackfruit more commonly available? Is it the size thing? If so, I could see it sold already cut up in mixed fruit salads or something along those lines. Or jackfruit jam/jelly, pre-made bottled smoothies … C’mon, Dopers, it’s the next Acai berry!