I call jackfruit “The Great Divider.” Dahling, are you familiar with jackfruit? If you are, then you’d understand immediately why I would christen it so. if not, read on. I’ll tell you why.
Jackfruit (image courtesy of Wisegeek)
No one likes jackfruit. It’s not a middle of the road kind of fruit. You either rabidly love jackfruit and believe it to be nectar dripping from the lips of the fruit gods themselves or you find it to be the most offensive, putrid, abominable alien thing to ever be hurled into the face of the earth.
That, dahling, is jackfruit. I am right. This is law. I stand by this definition. Indeed, it is the hill upon which I die.
So, where do I fall? Am I rabidly fanatic or am I a rank disparager? Well, as with many things in my life – it depends. If we are talking about ripe jackfruit, a large tropical fruit that takes on a sickeningly rotten smell the more it ripens – then I fall in the camp of the latter. Get this thing to a nunnery!
However, if we are talking about young, green jackfruit – slightly firm with no offensive smell – then yes I am indeed a fan. Let me explain.
Being vegan is an exercise in nuances, abundant with discovery. The impression of the vegan lifestyle, particularly the diet, is that it’s one of restriction. The laundry list of what a vegan cannot have is widely reported as long and ever-growing. Whew! I’d like to believe that being vegan allows you to live fully, compassionately and creatively. Instead of focusing on what is removed from our diets, I’think it challenges us to discover new items or view familiar foods in entirely different ways.
Enter the young, green jackfruit. I would never have imagined using green jackfruit. Surely, I could not have dreamed of using jackfruit as “meat”. Perhaps because growing up as a young girl in Jamaica, I didn’t have to. Meat from animal sources was quite common and we rarely ate unripe fruit, unless it’s the occasional green mango with salt. (I told my other Jamaican friends about my obsession with green mango and salt. They told me that’s a Jenn thing, not a Jamaican thing. I reject that.) When I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle, I still craved the familiar textures and taste of meat. I wanted to live in alignment with the compassion I feel towards all human and non-human animals and I wanted to do so in as decadently delicious a way as possible. I am not an “Or” girl. Things are very seldom “this” or “that” for me. I’m more an AND girl. I want “this” and “that.” If I were to be assigned a super-hero symbol, it would be the ampersand (&). So, compassionate deliciousness is my thing.
Chef Jenn demoing her Jerk Bbq Jackfruit Slider at Central Florida Veg Fest 2016. Image courtesy of Syed.
The young, green jackfruit often sold in cans soaked in brine or water has the uncanny (see what I did there? I said “cans” then “uncanny”. So, it’s funny because…oh never mind!) ability to transform its texture into something remarkably similar to pulled pork consistency. Texture, check! Add to that, jackfruit readily absorbs spices and seasonings and it is the perfect vehicle for a plant-based barbecue pulled “pork” sandwich. Flavor, check! I’ve found the earthy spiciness of jerk paste beautifully complements the smoky, sweetness of barbecue sauce, so I often use them together.
You can usually find canned Jackfruit at your local Asian market. Most grocery stores carry jerk paste, or you could make your own using this recipe.
Part of the demo audience at Central Florida Veg Fest 2016 where Chef Jenn demoed her Jerk Bbq Jackfruit Slider. Image courtesy of Syed.
Check out my delicious Jerk Barbecue Jackfruit Slider below. It goes perfectly with my creamy, slightly sweet, very tropical Pineapple Broccoli Slaw.
Irie up, dahling!
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Yes mam, I was there and so ecstatic that I had a front row seat. It was amazing. Thank you for such an amazing and wonderful experience. You are quite a chef, scientist , engerneer and all around fun person. Thank you so much for the recipe. Yay Chef Jenn was in the house, well outdoors!!!!!
Stephany, dahling, it was great seeing you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the demo. Thank you so much for leaving a comment. Enjoy the recipe!
The Jerk Barbecue Jackfruit Sliders were fun to watch you make and delicious along with the Broccoli Pineapple Slaw. Your entertaining presentation was great fun as well!
Sherry, I’m so glad you enjoyed the food and demo.Thank you so much. I really love what I do. I’m passionate about food and I love sharing with people, so I’m always excited to do a food demo. The energy in the audience on Saturday was so welcoming. It was great fun!
I wasn’t there in the flesh but bet your life my soul, heart and spirit were very much there.
Another great show.
Chef Jenn you’re the bomb.
Aww, Lexie that is so nice of you to say. I know you were there in spirit. I hope you’ll be there in the flesh next time.
A true engineer makes the most out of the least. That is exactly what you did! You gave a 5 Star presentation with limited supplies. I’ve tasted other BBQ jackfruit sandwiches but yours was truly supreme! The salad was perfection as well. Healthwise-jackfruit is a body cleansing whole food fiber. Pairing it with raw veggies & including pineapple(which is loaded with enzymes)made me happy, but inside my body was smiling!!! True Nutrition!!!!
Kimberly, dahling, you are awesome! Thank you for saying such nice things. I wanted to make nutrition fun and tasty. I’m so glad you picked up on that and enjoyed the food and demo!
Hi Jenn. It was a pleasure watching your demonstration at the veggie fest. The food was delicious, but your personality was awesome. Makes me want to eat bbq jackfruit. Never dreamed that a jackfruit could be prepared that way. Looking forward to meeting with you and attending your cooking classes. Keep smiling dahling. Visited your site over the weekend, love the name of your dishes. Good bless you and your love for cooking.
Jenneifer, thank you so much! It was so nice meeting you on Saturday. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Let’s keep in touch.