What Does Jackfruit Taste Like?

Here is a well-researched guide to what Jackfruit exactly tastes like.

My own experience and the expertise of chefs around the world will help you discover this unique and highly nutritious fruit. 

Let’s get right into its unique flavors! 

What Is Jackfruit?

Jackfruit is a widely known ancient tropical fruit native to the southern parts of India. It is also seen in other South Asian countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It is consumed both ripe and unripe. 

A fully grown jackfruit is green and bumpy on the outside.

The inside can range from light yellow to dark ochre yellow depending on how ripe it is.

What Does Jackfruit Taste Like?

Unripe Jackfruit has a subtle flavor that helps it adapt to whatever spices it is cooked with. Beyond the thick and bumpy green outer covering of the fruit are separated and smaller pods of light yellow meat that resemble chunks of meat.

Ripe Jackfruit is dark yellow and very sweet. Its taste resembles other tropical fruits like pineapple, mangoes, apples, and especially bananas.

Ripe Jackfruit also has a much stronger odor than the unripe form. Each of the fruit chunks traps a single brown seed within. 

Jackfruit, whether ripe or unripe is very fibrous, rich in antioxidants, protein, and potassium. It has been used as a food and for medicinal purposes around the world for ages now.

It is being savored as an efficient vegan meat substitute in recent times.

What Is The Texture Of Jackfruit Like?

Unripe Jackfruit has a meat-like fibrous and stringy texture. It is firm and chewy, very similar to shredded pork or even chicken. The fruit becomes softer and sweeter as it ripens. Ripe jackfruit also has a somewhat fibrous texture but is much sweeter. 

When cooked, unripe jackfruit retains its firmness and tissued texture while also taking on the flavors of what it is cooked in.

Ripe jackfruit is a great addition to smoothies and is a sweet summer fruit by itself.

What Does Jackfruit Smell Like?

Ripe Jackfruit has a dense and strong sweet odor which tends to overwhelm most. This odor only intensifies as the fruit continues to overripe. Unripe jackfruit has a similar odor but is not as dense and pungent. 

The smell of unripe jackfruit tends to subdue once cooked but the smell of ripe jackfruit overpowers all other fruits when mixed into a smoothie.

What Does Cooked Jackfruit Taste Like?

Cooked Jackfruit tastes like the ingredients it is cooked in, i.e., the fruit is a blank canvas before it is cooked, making it ready to take on every possible flavor added to it. Cooked jackfruit has been compared to pulled pork by many and is a great vegan meat substitute.

Jackfruit burger, jackfruit filling in tacos or sandwiches, simple jackfruit curry, and jackfruit stir-fry are some of the most prepared dishes with the fruit.

Here’s the best Vegan Jackfruit Taco to make at home!

Is Jackfruit Sour?

Jackfruit has a sweet taste when fully ripe that only develops to be sweeter. Unripe jackfruit has a subtly sweet flavor but is not sour.

Jackfruit tends to entirely adopt the flavors of the ingredients it is cooked in and can be tangy when cooked in citric seasonings. 

Jackfruit can end up bland and tasteless if it is not properly marinated and cooked. Overripe jackfruit may have an unpleasant acidic smell.

Are Jackfruit And Durian The Same?

Jackfruit and Durian are two completely different fruits even if they may look alike to some extent. Both ripe jackfruit and durian have a sweet tropical flavor and creamy texture but durian seems to be softer. 

The most distinct difference is the smell.

Durian has a strong and pungent sulfur-like odor and has been named the world’s smelliest fruit.

The smell of jackfruit is sweet but not pungent.

Are Jackfruit Seeds Edible?

Yes, Jackfruit seeds are safe and edible. However, they must be boiled and peeled before they are consumed. They have a taste similar to potatoes and nuts. They can be consumed by preparing curry or as a snack by roasting them. 

Each separated pod of the fruit has one seed enclosed within.

They can also be used to make hummus and are rich in protein, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin B.

What Does Jackfruit Smoothie Taste Like?

Jackfruit smoothie has a sweet, tangy, and refreshing flavor, perfect for a hot summer day. Jackfruit is usually mixed with other tropical fruits like mango, banana, pineapple, and coconut. This smoothie does not need any added sugar as the used fruits are already sweet enough. 

The fruits can all simply be blended together with some honey or unsweetened yogurt.

A fruity Pina Colada can be prepared by adding some rum to this mix.

A simple and tasty Jackfruit smoothie!  

Does Jackfruit Taste Like Chicken?

The taste of cooked Jackfruit has been compared to the taste of pork and chicken but their taste is not entirely identical because one is a fruit and the other is meat. However both jackfruit and chicken have a similar fibrous and stringy texture when shredded.

Jackfruit is capable of adapting to the flavors of spices it is cooked in and thus, it can taste very similar to chicken if prepared like chicken.

Jackfruit is an efficient meat substitute for this reason. 

What Tastes Best With Jackfruit?

Unripe Jackfruit can be prepared the same way any other meat is prepared, with salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, lemon, red chilies, and a bunch of herbs like coriander and mint to make curry, taco filling, or even burrito wrap.

Ripe jackfruit is often eaten by itself as a sweet snack or blended in with other sweet fruits like mangoes, apples, bananas, coconut, and more fruits of your liking to make a refreshing summer smoothie.

In The End

I hope this descriptive guide through the various flavors of Jackfruit helped you get a taste of each one.

I would love for you to get back to me with any queries or feedback after having looked through this composition.

Do share this treasured bite of delicious Jackfruit with your friends and family to invite them to the same journey through distinct flavors across the world.