Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a tree and fruit Originally found in the south Pacific, made famous in
the Caribbean by being introduced by Captain Bligh. A
Large green fruits, they are only edible after being cooked,
it is found in many local soup. It also can be roasted
when riped (when it turns to a yellowish color) We rarely
think of this as a fruit.
Young Breadfruit Tree
The trees are monoecious, with male and female flowers growing on the same tree. The male flowers emerge first, followed shortly afterwards by the female flowers, which grow into a capitulum, which are capable of pollination just three days later. The pollinators are Old World fruit bats (Family Pteropodidae). The compound, false fruit develops from the swollen perianth and originates from 1,500-2,000 flowers. These are visible on the skin of the fruit as hexagon-like disks.
Young Breadfruit on the Tree
Breadfruit is one of the highest-yielding food plants, with a single tree producing up to 200 or more fruits per season. In the South Pacific, the trees yield 50 to 150 fruits per year. In southern India, normal production is 150 to 200 fruits annually. Productivity varies between wet and dry areas. In the West Indies, a conservative estimate is 25 fruits per tree.
Fry Breadfruit
Studies in Barbados indicate a reasonable potential of 6.7 to 13.4 tons per acre (16-32 tons/ha). Much higher yields have been forecast, but experts are skeptical and view these predictions as unrealistic. The grapefruit-sized ovoid fruit has a rough surface, and each fruit is divided into many achenes, each achene surrounded by a fleshy perianth and growing on a fleshy receptacle. Some selectively-bred cultivars have seedless fruit.
Breadfruit Being Roasted
Breadfruit is a staple food in many tropical regions. They were propagated far outside their native range by Polynesian voyagers who transported root cuttings and air-layered plants over long ocean distances. They are very rich in starch, and before being eaten they are roasted, baked, fried, or boiled. When cooked the taste is described as potato-like, or similar to fresh baked bread (hence the name).
Roasted Breadfruit
Breadfruit trees usually produce large crops at certain times of the year. breadfruit varieties also produce a small number of fruits throughout the year, so fresh breadfruit is always available, but somewhat rare, when not in season. Breadfruit can be eaten once cooked, or can be further processed into a variety of other foods.
