Friday Frames | Fruit Royalty

Dear foodies,

Weeks seem to be passing by so quick and it's time for another post for my Friday Frames series. This week features another gorgeous jewel - Jackfruit.

The golden hue makes them look divine

The art of stringing words together to form stories seems to be escaping me these days so I'm taking refuge behind photographs and letting them weave a story of their own.

I find Jackfruit to be mildly sweet and floral almost in its flavor. Its unlike any other fruit I've had. The pulp is fibrous and can be pulled into strips like string cheese, my favorite way to eat them :) I got a quarter piece of the fruit at Ranch 99 last week and have been enjoying the fruit all week. I can't remember the last time I had fresh jackfruit and it brought back many memories. Be cautious when cutting out the fruit pods as they can be tough to scoop out. Rub your palms with some oil to avoid staining from the juice of the fruit and keep it away from your clothes. When I told my mom I had jackfruit she said honey was a traditional accompaniment to fruit. I got through the whole batch before trying that combo so I guess I need to get more next time :)

The road heading out of the office my dad worked at used to be lined with numerous food vendors selling seasonal fruits and snacks throughout the year. I remember eagerly waiting for him to come back home bearing a new snack every week. When Jackfruit was in season he would bring home jackfruit chips along with fresh fruit on his way back from work. All things deep fried are great and that holds good in the case of this fruit as well.  As good as the fruit is on its own, the salty, sweet chips are addictive!

When you are done scooping out the flesh please don't discard the seeds. The seeds are just as good if not better. Rinse and dry them out for a day or two. Once you've hoarded enough dry roast them on a hot cast iron skillet until the outer skin blisters and begins to char. When cool to handle, peel the outer skin, season lightly with salt and enjoy a perfect rainy day snack. The insides of the seed are starchy, mildly sweet and treat that needs to be savored to understand its uniqueness. The closest comparison I can think of is roasted chestnuts. The seeds can also be boiled/roasted and used in stews and curries. But to me the roasted taste is enjoyed best on its own. I'm still collecting seeds and will post a photo of the roasted seeds in a few days.