The breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis) is a tropical plant known for its large, versatile fruit. It is a staple food source in many tropical regions, providing sustenance. Its name reflects the fruit’s starchy texture and mild flavor when cooked, often compared to freshly baked bread.
Distinctive Features and Natural Habitat
The breadfruit tree is an evergreen species in the mulberry family (Moraceae), reaching heights of 12 to 26 meters (40 to 85 feet). It develops a strong central trunk and a broad, spreading canopy, offering shade. Its large, thick leaves are glossy green and deeply lobed, measuring 15 to 90 centimeters (6 to 35 inches) in length. All parts of the tree, including the fruit, produce a sticky, milky white sap called latex.
The fruit is round to oval, 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) long and 9 to 20 centimeters (3.5 to 8 inches) wide, weighing 0.25 to 6 kilograms (0.5 to 13 pounds). Its skin has irregular, polygon-shaped bumps. When immature, the fruit is bright green and firm, with a white, starchy interior. As it ripens, the skin transitions to a lighter green or yellow, and the flesh softens, becoming slightly sweet and aromatic.
Breadfruit thrives in humid tropical climates with high temperatures and ample rainfall. It grows best below 650 meters (2,130 feet) but can be found up to 1,550 meters (5,090 feet). The tree prefers neutral to alkaline soils, including sand, loam, or sandy clay loam, and tolerates coral sands and saline conditions. While cultivated across tropical regions today, including Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia, breadfruit originated in the South Pacific, particularly New Guinea and the Indo-Malay region. Polynesians spread the plant throughout Oceania over 3,000 years ago.
Culinary and Cultural Importance
Breadfruit is a foundational food source in many tropical communities. A single mature tree can produce 110 to 450 kilograms (250 to 1,000 pounds) of fruit annually. The fruit is rarely eaten raw when mature but can be consumed at various stages of ripeness. Its versatility allows for numerous culinary preparations, including roasting, baking, boiling, steaming, and frying. When cooked, especially at its mature, starchy stage, it often serves as a potato substitute in dishes like curries, stews, and casseroles.
Breadfruit is a valuable food source. It is rich in complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber, while being low in fat and cholesterol. A 100-gram serving provides 25% of the recommended daily allowance for fiber. It also contains protein, including essential amino acids like leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and valine, making it a complete protein source. Breadfruit is a source of micronutrients, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, and B vitamins like niacin and thiamine. It also contains antioxidants like beta-carotene and lutein.
Beyond its dietary uses, the breadfruit tree holds cultural significance, particularly in the Pacific Islands where it has been cultivated for millennia. Its lightweight yet durable wood, resistant to termites and shipworms, has been used for constructing houses, canoes, and furniture. The tree’s fibrous inner bark can be processed to make cloth or paper, and its sticky latex has been utilized for boat caulking, as glue, or for trapping birds. In traditional societies, breadfruit was also integrated into medicinal practices, with various parts of the tree used to address ailments like asthma, high blood pressure, and skin infections. Legends, such as the Hawaiian tale of the war god Kū, who transformed into the first breadfruit tree to feed his people during a famine, highlight breadfruit’s importance as a survival food.