Make Your Meatless Monday Jolly with Jackfruit

If you spend any time on the interwebs reading recipes, you've most certainly become familiar with the phrase “Meatless Monday.” Inspired by the U.S. Food Administration's World War I propaganda which encouraged families to reduce meat consumption in order to aid the war effort, Meatless Monday was revived in 2003 by Sid Lerner and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The revitalized Meatless Monday campaign urges us all to skip meat at least one day a week for the sake of our health, and the health of our planet. According to the Meatless Monday website, the campaign is currently active in 36 countries.

For those that regularly incorporate vegetarian recipes, Meatless Monday is a no-brainer. But for folks whose meals are planned around the meat portion of their plate, meat alternatives can help to ease the transition. Meat alternatives include legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and a variety of faux meats sold under brand names like Tofurky, Field Roast, Quorn, Upton's Naturals, and Beyond Meat. Upton's Naturals, based out of Chicago, recently introduced jackfruit, a meat alternative new to the US market.

Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit and it is native to South and Southeast Asia. With each tree producing an average of 100-200 fruits each year, and each fruit possibly growing up to 80 lbs, jackfruit grows in abundance! Both the seeds and the flesh of the jackfruit are edible. While the ripened fruit is reported to have a characteristically fruity flavor comparable to apple, pineapple, mango, or banana, the unripened green flesh is typically consumed in savory recipes like curries. The green fruit has a mild flavor that works well with marinades and sauces and has a distinct meat-like texture, reminiscent of tender pulled pork or slow cooked poultry.

Nachos made with Upton's Naturals jackfruit.

Upton's Naturals Jackfruit is available in two flavors: Bar-B-Que and Chili Lime Carnitas. Try the BBQ jackfruit in veggie sliders or meatless tacos. Or cook up a scrumptious batch of nachos or enchiladas with the Chili Lime Carnitas. The jackfruit provides a stringy, chewy texture that will leave you satisfied and forgetting that your Monday meal was meatless. You can find Upton's Naturals Jackfruit in our cooler next to the other meat alternatives and vegan cheeses.