Breadfruit tree
Did you know that breadfruit was the innocent underlying cause for sailors of a British ship in the Pacific to rebel against their captain way back in 1789?
Do you remember the movie about Captain Bligh and the Mutiny on the Bounty? Well...it wasn't just an exciting movie. It really happened. I won't go into the story here, since it is easy to check the facts, but almost 20 years earlier to the mutiny, Captain Bligh was in Tahiti where he and his crew discovered the wonders of breadfruit. The mutiny occurred on a subsequent trip (1789) when he was commissioned by the British King to propagate and plant hundreds of breadfruit trees to then take to Jamaica. We know how that venture ended... Eventually, many years later, he was able to complete the mission and breadfruit was then planted in the Caribbean.
Medium ripe breadfruit
Today there is a movement to introduce the breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) to the world at large and convert it into the food of the future. Except for Pacific Islanders, a few islands in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, breadfruit, or 'ulu, as its known in Hawai'i, is largely unknown or ignored, and yet, it is one of the most versatile fruit available today.
Steamed and quartered breadfruit
There are many varieties of breadfruit trees. Some produce completely round fruit; some are ovoid. Some have seeds and some don't. Some varieties are better for certain recipes than others.
Peeling steamed breadfruit
Breadfruit trees are very prolific, being able to produce as many as 200 fruit a season and in some places, like Hawai'i can produce two crops a year. Very rich in gluten-free starches, it can be used as a vegetable or a fruit in appetizers, soups, salads, entrées and desserts. It can be boiled, steamed, mashed, baked, roasted or fried.
Diced breadfruit
Any way you can think of using a potato and then some! The breadfruit seems to absorb the flavors of other stronger tasting foods cooked with it better than a potato.
Pounding breadfruit for breadfruit poi or other dishes requiring mashed 'ulu
The Breadfruit Festival--Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu (Revitalizing the Breadfruit)--to be held on Saturday, September 24, 2011, 9 am - 3 pm, at the Amy B.H Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook (South Kona on the Island of Hawai'i)--celebrates the rich culture of ‘ulu in Hawai‘i and the Pacific. Activities include a cooking contest, chef demonstrations, cultural activities, tree sales (pre-order for a great price), art shows, workshops, and a breadfruit inspired locally sourced luncheon
Cooking Contest entry forms and Breadfruit Festival information can be found www.breadfruit.info. Questions about the Cooking Contest can be directed to Sonia R. Martinez cubanwahine@hawaii.rr.com.
