Breadfruit

tropical fruit · nutrition · island staple

Huge fruit grows on trees. Breadfruit can weigh up to 12 pounds and grow as big as a soccer ball on branches, making it one of the largest tree fruits in the world.

Tastes like bread when cooked. When you cook a ripe breadfruit, it gets soft and fluffy with a flavor similar to fresh bread and potatoes, which is where it got its name.

Feeds island communities. For thousands of years, people in the South Pacific relied on breadfruit as a main food source because one tree can produce hundreds of fruits per year.

Part of the jackfruit family. Breadfruit is related to jackfruit and belongs to the Moraceae family, which also includes mulberries and fig trees.

Incredibly useful plant. Beyond eating the fruit, people use breadfruit seeds, leaves, and wood for food, medicine, and building materials.