The easiest so far

[mrtree]

Should be no problem to id this tropical tree

 

[Mrsmorningwood]

Artocarpus altilis - Breadfruit

 

[Mrsmorningwood]

Also has a Bligh connection. He introduced it to the W Indies.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Has anyone ever eaten the fruit?

 

[mrtree]

Not too exciting fruit(?) Really needs to be cooked, not a sweet thing like most of us thing of fruit as.

Bligh did more than introduce breadfruit to the West Indies, he apparently had a mutiny because he keep the freshwater for the breadfruit seedlings rather than the crew. He ended up in Timor I think and the crew most famously ended up on Pitcairn Island. Bligh in some respects may be one of the great plantsman of history.

 

[Leon]

Dang, I thought I made a post and then it disappeared.

Anyways, I've eaten breadfruit prepared a bunch of different ways. One of the simplest and tastiest (in my opinion) is to pick a very ripe breadfruit (skin starting turn yellow with sap flow, soft to touch). Cut it in half from the stem down. Slather with butter and wrap each half in tin foil. Bake like you would a potato. When done, slather with more butter and honey if you like. Scoop it out of the skin with a spoon. Yummy!


Breadfruit also works well in curries, fried like chips, and steamed in underground ovens in the Polynesian style. You can even just toss one straight onto the coals of a fire and cook it like that.

 

[treesandsurf]

Yup, that's my favorite way to eat breadfruit too, slathered in butter and cooked in tinfoil. It is a staple food of many polynesians, and to me is like tofu, it's great if prepared how you like it.

jp