The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)[6] is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae).[7] The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as 55 kg (120 pounds) in weight, 90 cm (35 inches) in length, and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter.[7][8] A mature jackfruit tree produces some 200 fruits per year, with older trees bearing up to 500 fruits in a year.[7][9] The jackfruit is a multiple fruit composed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers, and the fleshy petals of the unripe fruit are eaten.[7][10]
The jackfruit tree is well-suited to tropical lowlands and is widely cultivated throughout tropical regions of the world, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the rainforests of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.[7][9][11][12]
The ripe fruit is sweet (depending on variety) and is commonly used in desserts. Canned green jackfruit has a mild taste and meat-like texture that lends itself to being called "vegetable meat".[7] Jackfruit is commonly used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines.[13][14] Both ripe and unripe fruits are consumed. It is available internationally, canned or frozen, and in chilled meals, as are various products derived from the fruit, such as noodles and chips.
^Under its accepted name Artocarpus heterophyllus (then as heterophylla) this species was described in Encyclopédie Méthodique, Botanique 3: 209. (1789) by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, from a specimen collected by botanist Philibert Commerson. Lamarck said of the fruit that it was coarse and difficult to digest. Larmarck's original description of tejas. Vol. t.3. Panckoucke;Plomteux. 1789. Retrieved 23 November 2012. On mange la chair de son fruit, ainsi que les noyaux qu'il contient; mais c'est un aliment grossier et difficile à digérer.
^ abcdefMorton, Julia F. (1987). Fruits of warm climates. West Lafayette, Indiana, USA: Center for New Crops & Plant Products, Purdue University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. pp. 58–64. ISBN0-9610184-1-0. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
^Boning, Charles R. (2006). Florida's Best Fruiting Plants:Native and Exotic Trees, Shrubs, and Vines. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. p. 107.
^Elevitch, Craig R.; Manner, Harley I. (2006). "Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit)". In Elevitch, Craig R. (ed.). Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment, and Use. Permanent Agriculture Resources. p. 112. ISBN9780970254450.
^Cite error: The named reference janick was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^The encyclopedia of fruit & nuts, By Jules Janick, Robert E. Paull, pp. 481–485