Jamaican Roasted Breadfruit

Roasted breadfruit is a Jamaican favorite. If you don't know this unique, starchy fruit, it's high time you got acquainted. Breadfruit is actually a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family. Its name is derived from the texture of the interior of the cooked fruit, which is similar to fresh-baked bread. In the late 18th century, the quest for cheap, high-energy food sources for enslaved and indentured workers prompted colonial administrators and plantation owners to call for the introduction of this starchy plant to the Caribbean. And so it was that the infamous Captain Bligh of the Bounty commanded an expedition to Tahiti in order to, among other things, collect live breadfruit plants and transport them to Jamaica in the West Indies. In 1793, Captain Bligh introduced about 347 breadfruit specimens to Jamaica, which were planted all over the island. As a result, breadfruit trees are prolific in Jamaica today and many people pick them straight from the trees that grow wild on the roadside or from their own backyards. 

Breadfruit is typically roasted directly in charcoal embers in a coal pot or on a drum-pan charcoal grill. In this manner, the starchy fruit is cooked until the skin is charred and black. While the exterior blackens, the inside steams and becomes soft and doughy, like bread. The charred exterior is then peeled away, and the insides, piping hot, slightly sweet, and subtly creamy, are topped with butter and salt. Recognizing that ember-roasting is typical with breadfruit, we’ve given directions for how to ember-roast at home, but we have also included directions for how to roast with a gas grill, or in your oven. With or without a charcoal grill setup, you can enjoy this unique fruit at home.

Ready- to-eat, pre-roasted whole breadfruit is available for sale in markets and from street and produce vendors all across Jamaica. There are many different local varieties of breadfruit, with Yellow Heart being the most coveted for its superior size, soft, moist texture, and subtle sweetness. Once roasted, breadfruit is best eaten right away, but if you have leftover roasted breadfruit it can be pan-fried in a little oil and sprinkled with salt as a side dish to a meal or as a quick snack; it is also a real treat topped with avocado. 

Breadfruit can be enjoyed in many ways beyond our roasting technique here. It is a good thickener to give body to hearty one-pot soups and stews, and it also makes incredibly light, crunchy, and delicious chips for snacking. Thinly sliced and deep-fried, breadfruit chips become slightly translucent and are a wonderful accompaniment to any kind of dip or salsa in lieu of potato or tortilla chips. In more recent times, breadfruit chips have become available in local supermarkets, packaged commercially by Jamaican companies like St Mary’s. In Jamaica, breadfruit appears as a side dish to any meal, from a classic Sunday morning ackee and saltfish breakfast to a quick lunch of jerk pork from the local jerk pit. In short, breadfruit is widely appreciated and enjoyed by all.