Breadfruit (neither bread nor fruit)

​One of the joys of living on a tropical island is the endless variety of edibles. As I love to cook & entertain and am naturally curious about all things edible, I’m always experimenting with new foods.

Breadfruit & I go back some 48 years, when my then husband & I were running a large sailing charter boat. We had a full crew, including a chef but on weekends when the crew was off, I did the cooking for the 3 of us who remained on board.

One day I was preparing a meal when one of the crew members came on board, delivering a treat is wife had cooked. Grenadians are among the most generous people I’ve ever come across, so this was welcome but not entirely a surprise. As he came into the galley, he saw me trying to peal a breadfruit, struggling mightily, as the breadfruit is about the size of a medium cantaloupe & the skin is really hard to get off. The crew member watched & when he couldn’t watch any more, took it from me & showed me how to do it. Cut it in quarters, cut out the soft, seeded middle & then peel the quarters.

Nowadays, though I know how to do it, I ask the market vendors to cut up the breadfruit, cut out the soft middle & when at home, ask hubby to peal & cut it up.

This amazing vegetable is one of the most versatile edibles there is. We use it cubed & boiled, as we would boil potatoes, we cut it into long thin pieces for breadfruit fries, we mash it, we bake it & for those who have access to charcoal, it can be roasted whole in the ashes. Best of all, unlike potatoes, it freezes well.
​
So now for some facts about this wonderful food. Breadfruit originated in the South Pacific and was brought to the Caribbean in the late 18th century. Not only was the fruit used but also the timber from the tree in ship and house building. The breadfruit tree is one of the highest producing plants with 200 plus fruits per tree per season. It is 71% water, 27% carbohydrate and many essential trace minerals. For more detailed information, please visit www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadfruit.