Is this the new wonder food? Breadfruit is high in protein and has the potential to feed the world, experts say
- Breadfruit has lumpy green flesh and a potato-like texture
- It is widely eaten in the Pacific Islands and scientists are encouraging the planting of trees in countries with poor food security
- One breadfruit, which weighs around seven lbs (3kg) provides the carbohydrate portion of a meal for a family of five
- It can be can be ground into flour and used to make pancakes
- The fruit is rich in vitamins and is a source of carbohydrate and protein
- The protein in the fruit has a higher proportion of aminio acids than soy.
The fruit can be ground into flour and used in sweet and savoury dishes, including pancakes and crisps.
It is rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as being a high source of gluten-free carbohydrate and protein.
The protein in the fruit has a higher proportion of aminio acids than soy.
Diane Ragone of Hawaii’s National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) has been studying the plant since the 1980s, which some people say is bland and starchy.
RECIPE IDEAS TO INCORPORATE BREADFRUIT IN YOUR DIET
Mary McLaughlin, founder of the charity Trees that Feed, said that the high-protein fruit can be used to make pancakes.
A third of a cup of breadfruit flour is added to the same quantity of orange juice as well as one egg, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
The mixture is fried in a pan and this recipe makes pancakes for three people.
Breadfruit crisps and pasta are being developed so that the food can be more easily stored.
The NTBG said that mature breadfruit is a healthy substitute for any starchy food such as rice and potatoes if it is boiled, steamed or baked.
Small immature fruit can be boiled, pickled and marinated. They are said to taste like artichoke hearts.
Ripe fruits are creamy and sweet and can be eaten raw or used to make cakes and pies.
Even the flowers found on the trees can be candied and eaten as sweets.
She has studied hundreds of varieties from 34 countries.
Together with Nyree Zerega of Northwestern University in Chicago, she traced back the roots of the fruit using DNA analysis to the breadfruit ‘Eve’.
Most of the fruit she examined included fingerprints of a plant called the breadnut that grows in New Guinea. The breadnut is thought to be the ancestor of the breadfruit.
In 2003 Dr Ragone created the NTBG’s Breadfruit Institute, which includes an orchard on the island of Maui.
Scientists there are working with the charity Alliance to End Hunger with the aim of distributing breadfruit to places without a regular supply of food across the world.
‘Traditionally in Polynesia you would plant a breadfruit when a child was born, because that would guarantee food throughout the child’s life’ Dr Zerega said.
Breadfruit trees require little care and thrive in the tropics.
Now experts are investigating which varieties best suit certain environments and climates – as well as local tastes – in countries lacking food security.
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