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 and the Northeast, providing ripe fruit and the starchy unripe bulbs used in curries and snacks.

However, in recent years, this ancient crop has been reimagined. Food entrepreneurs, plant-based chefs, and health conscious consumers use the unripe jackfruit’s fibrous, stringy texture to mimic shredded meat when cooked and seasoned.

As a result, jackfruit is now an accessible, inexpensive base for vegan tacos, kebabs and ready-to-cook meat substitutes. 

Coupled with advanced processing techniques like brining, retorting and freezing that extend shelf life, jackfruit has moved from seasonal roadside stalls into packaged, year-round grocery stores. Brands in India and abroad now sell jackfruit in formats ranging from frozen chunks and canned in brine to marinated burger patties and snack chips.

According to research firm Market Intelo, the global jackfruit meat alternatives market size was valued at 398 million dollars in 2024, and is forecast to hit 1.12 billion dollars by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 12.1 percent.

The jackfruit meat alternatives market is witnessing a profound transformation, driven by shifting consumer preferences towards plant-based diets and the growing influence of the global vegan and flexitarian movements. 

Nutrition and the “superfood” tag

Jackfruit earns praise not because it’s a protein giant but because it delivers a powerful combination of fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants with very low fat. One cup of raw jackfruit supplies fibre, vitamin C, potassium and modest amounts of B vitamins and magnesium. These are nutrients linked to gut health, immunity and cardiovascular wellness. 

It also has bioactive phytochemicals with antioxidant and potential antidiabetic properties. For vegans, jackfruit’s main appeal is texture rather than protein. 

Processed jackfruit prices vary widely by format. Bulk canned or frozen jackfruit sold internationally shows price volatility due to demand and currency fluctuations. However, ready-to-cook and value-added retail products command premium pricing domestically. 

Several startups and co-operatives now produce chips, canned chunks, frozen patties and other items using jackfruit. 

Also Read: Engineer takes exotic fruits and jackfruit varieties from Kerala to the world; clocks Rs 1.5 crore turnover

Why jackfruit matters now

Jackfruit ticks several boxes for today’s food system. It grows on long-lived trees (carbon-friendly), offers a low-fat, fibre-rich ingredient for plant-based diets, and supports rural value chains when processing is local. 

If processed jackfruit commercialisation is matched with buying networks, cold chains and processing units, it can turn seasonal bounty into year-round income for farmers. For consumers, jackfruit is an adaptable, affordable route into plant-based meals.

Typically, a jackfruit tree starts production from the seventh or eighth year onwards. Grafted plants can start yielding from the fourth year.

A tree attains its peak bearing stage in about 15-16 years of planting. At this stage, a tree bears up to 250 fruits annually with some yearly fluctuation in yield.

Jackfruit remains largely an orchard or backyard crop in India rather than a monoculture plantation, but its cultivated footprint is significant and increasing. 

Panruti, a town in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, is known as the jackfruit capital of India. It holds the distinction of being the state's largest region for jackfruit farming, covering over 800 hectares of land. Unlike other parts of India, Panruti is unique in cultivating jackfruit year-round as a mono-crop – a single crop throughout the year.

Also Read: Panruti: The jackfruit capital of India

However, translating yields into farm income depends on whether fruit is sold fresh, processed locally, or aggregated for industrial processing. At modest farmgate prices, jackfruit can be profitable, especially when processing or value-addition captures more of the retail value. 

Varieties and regional diversity 

India’s jackfruit diversity is rich. In Kerala, growers distinguish two groups - varikka (firm-fleshed) and koozha (soft-fleshed). There are dozens of local varieties, like Sindoor, Muttom varikka, Chirappuram selections, etc. prized for size, sweetness or fibrousity. 

VA Thomas Kattakayam, a 78-year-old jackfruit farmer from Kerala's Chakkampuzha village, has achieved a significant milestone of cultivating nearly 400 distinct jackfruit varieties.

Across states, farmers select cultivars for sweet ripe fruit, seed quality, or for the firm, unripe flesh that processors prefer. This genetic and taste diversity is an asset for fresh-fruit markets and product developers. 

Also Read: Entrepreneur reinvents jackfruit with vegan ready-to-eat products