Jackfruit: How India’s ancient fruit became a vegan superfood

Jackfruit: How India’s ancient fruit became a vegan superfood

Jackfruit (kathal) has been a part of India’s food culture for centuries, much before it became trendy in vegan kitchens across the world. Native to South Asia, jackfruit is mentioned in the Ramayana. The Sanskrit text by Valmiki refers to the jackfruit tree as ‘panasa’ when describing the forests where Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana spent their exile. Its trees are found across homes in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal an…