Artocarpus Integrifolia

L.

Jackfruit (E); Jaca (S) . The jackfruit or jaca has dozens of sectors, each with one seed, surrounded by a yellow, pulpy mass with a strong odor. The pulp is eaten raw or cooked; or may be fermented to yield an alcoholic beverage with a strong odor and peculiar flavor. The seeds are usually more palatable to the Yankee than the fruits and when roasted have the flavor of chestnuts. Seeds are often ground into flour, each fruit yielding more than a pound of flour. Unripe fruits may be cut up and cooked in stews and soups. Flowering shoots and very young fruits of the jackfruit are also eaten in salads and spicy stews. Young flower clusters are eaten with syrup and agar-agar in java. A milky juice especially prevalent in the fruits, may be used as birdlime to ensnare birds. The juice also is used as a cement. In the Philippines, slices of the ripe fruit are placed in beds to discourage bedbugs.