Jackfruit Day 2024: Its Significance, History & Tasty Recipes To Try

Every year on July 4th, people celebrate Jackfruit Day. This tropical fruit is a favourite among plant-based diet enthusiasts, frequently serving as a meat alternative. Jackfruit is a nutrient-dense complement to any diet, being high in vitamins and antioxidants. While unripe jackfruit can be cooked into delectable curries, ripe jackfruit may be enjoyed raw. 

Significance & History

Jackfruit Day is a great way to highlight the fruit's health advantages and celebrate its variety. It is mostly produced in Asia and is endemic to portions of South and Southeast Asia. Still, attempts to cultivate it in Hawaii go back much earlier than 1888. It is possible that the Portuguese word "jaca," which is also translated as "chakka," is where the name "jackfruit" first appeared. 

Jackfruit is currently grown all throughout the world, including in many former European colonies, as a result of colonisation. This fruit may be used to make ice cream, jams, pickles, sweets, and other preparations, which makes it highly valued for its varied culinary applications.

Jackfruit is becoming more and more well-liked as a plant-based diet substitute for meat. On Jackfruit Day, people are encouraged to experiment with innovative and healthful recipes that highlight the fruit's many culinary uses. This day offers a delightful and enjoyable opportunity to discover the various ways that jackfruit may be included in meals, showcasing both its nutritional qualities and culinary adaptability.

6 Must Try Jackfruit Recipes 

• Unripe, raw jackfruit, basmati rice, yoghurt, and a variety of herbs and spices are combined to make jackfruit biryani.
• Roasted Pumpkin Jackfruit Curry: A delicious pot of jackfruit curry is made with oven-roasted pumpkin, coconut milk, and a variety of aromatic spices. 
• Barbecued Jackfruit Sandwich - These sandwiches have a great meaty texture and a spicy/smoky flavour.
•  Jackfruit Curry: This delectable curry is made with kachcha kathal, the fibrous raw jackfruit.
• Chicken Fried Jackfruit - There's no better way to demonstrate the fruit's remarkable ability to resemble both the texture and flavour of meat.
• Jackfruit Pot Roast - Using jackfruit as a substitute in normally meat-heavy dishes like this simple pot roast.

5 Health Benefits Of JackFruit 

1. Boosts Immunity: The rich vitamin C and antioxidant content of jackfruit helps to strengthen your immune system and make it more effective at warding off infections. 
2. Gives Energy: Packed full of healthy carbs. When you consume it, your energy level increases instantly.
3. Improves Digestion: Soluble and insoluble fibres, which are abundant in jackfruit, both facilitate easier bowel movements.
4. Good For Bones: The high calcium content of jackfruit helps to fortify bones.
5. Good For Eyes: Rich in beta-carotene, or vitamin A, jackfruit offers our eyes a nutritious diet.

Tropical fruits like jackfruit are consumed as a fruit when mature and as a vegetable while they are still raw. For plant-based cuisine lovers, its fibrous, thick texture serves as a meat substitute. It's a food that's high in nutrients and loaded with vitamins and minerals.