How do you eat jackfruit?

How you eat jackfruit depends on whether the fruit is ripe or unripe. Ripe jackfruit is enjoyed fresh and raw, just like mango or pineapple. Simply slice open the fruit, pull out the sweet yellow pods surrounding the inner seeds, discard the seeds, and eat the juicy flesh raw, blended into smoothies, or chopped into fruit salads.

Unripe green jackfruit is always cooked before eating. You can buy fresh green jackfruit or convenient canned young jackfruit packed in water or brine. Rinse and drain canned jackfruit, trim off any tough core pieces, and shred the fleshy pods using two forks. Simmer or sauté the shredded jackfruit with barbecue sauce, curry paste, or taco seasonings for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. Serve it in tacos, sandwiches, or grain bowls as a plant-based meat substitute.