Breadfruit

Breadfruit tree with fruit

The breadfruit tree ( Artocarpus altilis; Syn. Artocarpus communis JR & G.Forst, Artocarpus incisus ( Thunb. ) Lf) is a tropical evergreen tree, belonging to the genus of the mulberry family ( Moraceae ). Originally in tropical Southeast Asia -based tree is now cultivated in Asia, Africa, Hawaii, Central America, Brazil and the Caribbean as a useful plant.

• 2.1 Initial distribution areas and first dissemination
• 2.2 breadfruit - because of the "Bounty" - Travel and the mutiny

Appearance

The tree

The breadfruit tree is a medium sized and broad crown. Occasionally develop at the base of the trunk buttress roots. The tree can reach a height up to 20 meters. The diameter of the gray brown trunk reaches 60 to 100 centimeters.

The whole plant performs a skin-irritating, milky sap. For this reason, the fruits are often harvested by breaking off with long poles.

Leaves, flowers and fruits

The breadfruit tree is very large exchange constant and leathery leaves. These are located mainly at the end of a long branches.

The breadfruit tree bears separated male and female inflorescences, from which up to three harvests a year to develop, each providing up to 50 fruit stands. The tree remains productive up to 70 years.

His green, up to 2 kg fruits ( breadfruit, botanical, there are fruit bodies) with white flesh are mainly used in Asia as a staple food. The fruits contain up to 22 % starch and 1-2 % protein.

Dissemination

Original distribution areas and first dissemination

The breadfruit tree has been native to Polynesia. He was probably already in the 12th century by people over the natural range spreads out (so-called Hemerochorie ). The tree came probably in this period from Samoa to Hawaii.

Breadfruit - because of the "Bounty" - Travel and the mutiny

The famous mutiny on the Bounty was due to the breadfruit: Lt. William Bligh was given in 1787 by King George III. commissioned to bring cuttings of the breadfruit tree from Tahiti to the West Indies. They should serve as a cheap food for the slaves on the local sugar cane plantations. The sailors of the Bounty were not only outraged because the precious drinking water had to be used on the ship to water the cuttings, but longed to return even after the vahines Tahiti. After the mutiny, they threw the cargo overboard.

Later, Bligh received, now Captain, a second command with the same contract that he " successfully " finished. However, the slaves of the new food is not accepted as a substitute for their usual cereal. From Jamaica from the tree was ultimately spread to Central America and into northern South America.

Ingredients

The obtained from the dried fruit meat meal with its high nutritional value, contains, among other things, up to 75 % starch, up to 31% sugar, up to 5 % protein and up to just under 2 % fat.

Man and breadfruit tree

As a food, the breadfruit, especially in Polynesia, the Caribbean, India and Sri Lanka will be used.

The breadfruit is still harvested green, is golden yellow when ripe and has a strong, sweet flavor. Cooked unripe fruits are eaten as a vegetable or Mus. The use is similarly diverse as potatoes; they can fry according to the same recipes, process to salads etc. When fully ripe, the fruit is also eaten raw. The pulp can be dried and ground into flour. The fruit contains 16 to 24 large chestnut nut fruits, their starchy seed is ground into flour after roasting. For these flours to bake bread.