Breadfruit tree
| Breadfruit | |
|---|---|
| Breadfruit at Tortuguero, Costa Rica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | A. altilis |
| Binomial name | |
|
Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 431 kJ (103 kcal) |
|
27.12 g
|
|
| Sugars | 11 |
| Dietary fiber | 4.9 g |
|
0.23 g
|
|
|
1.07 g
|
|
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A equiv. |
22 μg
|
| Thiamine (B1) |
(10%)
0.11 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(3%)
0.03 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(6%)
0.9 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) |
(9%)
0.457 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(8%)
0.1 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(4%)
14 μg |
| Choline |
(2%)
9.8 mg |
| Vitamin C |
(35%)
29 mg |
| Vitamin E |
(1%)
0.1 mg |
| Vitamin K |
(0%)
0.5 μg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(2%)
17 mg |
| Iron |
(4%)
0.54 mg |
| Magnesium |
(7%)
25 mg |
| Manganese |
(3%)
0.06 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(4%)
30 mg |
| Potassium |
(10%)
490 mg |
| Sodium |
(0%)
2 mg |
| Zinc |
(1%)
0.12 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| Water | 70.65 g |
|
|
|
|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
|
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) originating in the South Pacific and eventually spreading to the rest of Oceania. British and French navigators introduced a few Polynesian seedless varieties to Caribbean islands during the late 18th century, and today it is grown in some 90 countries throughout South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, Central America and Africa. Its name is derived from the texture of the moderately ripe fruit when cooked, similar to freshly baked bread and having a potato-like flavor.
According to DNA fingerprinting studies, breadfruit has its origins in the region of Oceania from New Guinea through the Indo-Malayan Archipelago to western Micronesia. The trees have been widely planted in tropical regions elsewhere, including lowland Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. In addition to the fruit serving as a staple food in many cultures, the trees' light, sturdy timber has been used for outriggers, ships and houses in the tropics.
Because breadfruit dispersal across Oceania was dependent on human seafaring, botanical research has correlated with the human colonization of Oceania, resulting in a theory that humans brought breadfruit seeds from Melanesia to settle in Polynesia and Micronesia over thousands of years.
Sir Joseph Banks and others saw the value of breadfruit as a highly productive food in 1769, when stationed in Tahiti as part of the Endeavour expedition commanded by Captain James Cook. The late-18th-century quest for cheap, high-energy food sources for slaves in British colonies prompted colonial administrators and plantation owners to call for the plant to be brought to the Caribbean. As President of The Royal Society, Banks provided a cash bounty and gold medal for success in this endeavor, and successfully lobbied his friends in government and the Admiralty for a British Naval expedition. In 1787, William Bligh was appointed Captain of the HMS Bounty, and ordered to proceed to the South Pacific to collect the plants. In 1791, Bligh commanded a second expedition with the Providence and the Assistant, which collected seedless breadfruit plants in Tahiti and transported these to St. Helena, in the Atlantic, and St. Vincent and Jamaica in the West Indies. Although Bligh won the Royal Society medal for his efforts, the introduction was not entirely successful, as most slaves refused to eat the new food.
...
Wikipedia