Jackfruit is huge in size and nutritiously delicious fruit. Jackfruit trees grow abundantly in India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This fruit is very versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked.
It is widely used in cooking when it’s immature. In Sri Lanka, this versatile fruit is used to make a wide variety of dishes. It can be boiled, fried, grilled, or roasted. Seeds of Jackfruit are edible and prepared in dishes.
Jackfruit as a meat substitute is common among vegans and vegetarians.


Table of Contents
Nutritional values for Jackfruit
Composition of jackfruit (100 g edible portion).
Composition | Young fruit | Ripe fruit |
---|---|---|
Water (g) | 76.2 – 85.2 | 72.0 – 94.0 |
Protein (g) | 2.0 – 2.6 | 1.2 – 1.9 |
Fat (g) | 0.1 – 0.6 | 0.1 – 0.4 |
Carbohydrate (g) | 9.4 – 11.5 | 16.0 – 25.4 |
Fibre (g) | 2.6 – 3.6 | 1.0 – 1.5 |
Total sugars (g) | – | 20.6 |
Total minerals (g) | 0.9 | 0.87 – 0.9 |
Calcium (mg) | 30.0 – 73.2 | 20.0 – 37.0 |
Magnesium (mg) | – | 27.0 |
Phosphorus (mg) | 20.0 – 57.2 | 38.0 – 41.0 |
Potassium (mg) | 287-323 | 191-407 |
Sodium (mg) | 3.0-35.0 | 2.0-41.0 |
Iron (mg) | 0.4-1.9 | 0.5-1.1 |
Vitamin A (IU) | 30 | 175-540 |
Thiamine (mg) | 0.05-0.15 | 0.03-0.09 |
Riboflavin (mg) | 0.05-0.2 | 0.05-0.4 |
Vitamin C (mg) | 12.0-14.0 | 7.0-10.0 |
Energy (KJ) | 50-210 | 88-410 |
Jackfruit based dishes
One of my favourite curries in Sri Lanka is called Ambul Polos in Sinhalese. The curry’s made from unripe fruit, therefore it looks green and young. It is slow-cooked baby jack fruit in spices and coconut milk. It’s a very tasty and nutritious dish.
Cooked jack fruit has a meaty texture and it is a perfect substitute for meat in making burgers, sandwiches, pizzas etc. It can be made into a texture similar to pulled pork. In the countries where it grows naturally, Jackfruit curry is more common.

When it reaches the ripening stage, it releases an aroma of sweetness a combination of mangoes, bananas, melon and a hint of durian. The Jackfruit smell is unique but pleasant. You’ll know further that the natural sugar has formed and this fruit is ready to be eaten as a fruit.


Health Benefits
This superior fruit provides a number of health benefits:
- Firstly, this fruit may help reduce blood pressure because it is rich in potassium. 1 cup – 165g raw – contains 500mg of potassium.
- Improves digestion, it is high in dietary fibre.
- May help promote wound healing.
- In addition, it can lessen the risk of cancer because of the richness in anti-oxidant and it has a high content of Vitamin C.
- Studies have shown that this fruit helps with controlling diabetes.
Jackfruit benefits can be attributed to Vitamin C, Fibre Content, Carotenoids and Flavanones. Jackfruit is also used in traditional medicine in several countries.
Is jackfruit healthy?
More studies are needed to come to a conclusion but it does look promising.

Your questions about Jackfruit
How long before a Jackfruit Tree (Jack Tree) produce fruits?

It takes 5-7 years before a tree will produce fruit. Once it starts, it can produce 100+ fruits per year. On average the tree has a life span of 60 to 70 years.
Is Jackfruit the largest fruit in the world?

Yes It is the largest tree fruit in the world, capable of reaching 100 pounds (45 Kilograms) per fruit.
What does Jackfruit taste like?
Underripe jackfruit is very mild and often used in curries or can substitute pulled pork or chicken for vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Ripe jackfruit has a sweet flavour. The taste is similar to other tropical fruits like mango or papaya with a stronger and sweeter smell.
Where does Jackfruit come from?
Jackfruit grows abundantly in India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Nine fun facts about Jackfruit
- The Ripe jackfruit is eaten as a fruit; unripe jackfruit is prepared as a vegetable.
- Jackfruit is the largest fruit grown on a tree.
- The word jackfruit comes from Portuguese jaca.
- According to Ayurveda, ripened jackfruit helps in increasing sperm motility and the quality of semen.
- Every part of the jackfruit tree is used for traditional medicine. The bark, leaves, pulp, skin and roots.
- Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh.
- The seeds are edible but must be cooked.
- About 100 to 500 seeds could be found in each jackfruit.
- In the United States, it can be found in Florida and Hawaii.
Sources
Nutrion Data
Medical News Today
Nutrition Facts

Options for buying jackfruit
Other amazing fruits
You can find 7 types of Bananas in Sri Lanka here.
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