Breadfruit

Also known asArtocarpus altilis · Sukun · 面包果

Name: Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis, also recorded as Artocarpus communis).

Description

Breadfruit is the large, starchy fruit of a tree in the mulberry family, believed to be native to the Malay Archipelago and spread across the tropical South Pacific in prehistoric times, where it became a staple food. The tree grows up to about 18 metres tall, and its round, greenish fruit can reach 20 centimetres across, with a fibrous white pulp beneath the textured skin.

Breadfruit reached the Caribbean through one of history's more famous botanical voyages: Captain William Bligh's HMS Bounty expedition, launched on the recommendation of Captain James Cook, aimed to transplant breadfruit trees to the West Indies as a cheap food source. Beyond the fruit itself, South Pacific islanders have long used the tree's fibrous inner bark for cloth, its wood for canoes and furniture, and its milky sap as a natural glue and caulking material.

Main nutrition value

Per 100g, raw breadfruit:

Breadfruit stands out for potassium — close to 500mg per 100g — along with a solid dose of fiber and vitamin C, backed by its high starch content that makes it function more like a staple starch than a typical sweet fruit.

How best to be consumed

Breadfruit is rarely eaten raw; its high starch content and firm texture mean it is almost always roasted, baked, boiled, fried, or dried and ground into flour, much like a potato or plantain. Traditional South Pacific cooking often roasts it whole over a fire or in an underground oven, while today it is also commonly sliced and fried into chips.

Overconsumption could cause…

Because breadfruit is so starchy, eating large amounts regularly contributes meaningfully to carbohydrate intake, which is worth keeping in mind for people managing blood sugar. Its fiber content, while beneficial, can cause bloating or digestive discomfort if intake increases suddenly. Otherwise breadfruit is a well-tolerated staple food across the regions where it is a dietary mainstay.

GroupsOther Starchy VegetablesTropical FruitsMulberry family (Moraceae)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin CFresh

Related foodsPlantainJackfruitCustard ApplePassion FruitWater ChestnutSugar Apple

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central — Breadfruit, raw (FDC ID 171714), 100g portion: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171714/nutrients Encyclopaedia Britannica — breadfruit: https://www.britannica.com/plant/breadfruit