Breadfruit

When you ask for meat and potatoes in the Caribbean, you might not recognize the type of starch that winds up on your plate. There are many different substitutes for potatoes throughout the Caribbean, and some of these things are not vegetables at all. One of the most common potato-like items is the breadfruit, and this fruit is one of the most interesting things that you may try while you are visiting the Caribbean.

Breadfruit is actually native to the Malay Peninsula, but it is also rather abundant throughout the Caribbean as well. This type of fruit is green in color and rather fleshy inside, which makes it a perfect side dish. Breadfruit is high in starch, and it can only be consumed once it has been baked, broiled, roasted, or fried. Some people believe that the taste of a breadfruit is similar to homemade bread, which is why this peculiar fruit has been named “breadfruit.” Breadfruit trees only produce a certain amount of breadfruits each year, so people that harvest these fruits often keep them underground for quite awhile. Sometimes, a breadfruit will turn into a sticky paste that is often used in cooking.

One common breadfruit dish consists of mashed breadfruit combined with coconut milk and baked inside a banana leaf. Some chefs even add breadfruit to meat mixtures in order to create a hearty filling for a pastry shell. In many ways, breadfruit is one of the most versatile foods within the Caribbean, which makes this fruit a necessary part of any Caribbean diet. If you have the chance to sample some authentic Caribbean cuisine, try some breadfruit and discover why so many people simply cannot live without this tasty fruit.