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Jakfruit
Artocarpus heterophyllus, BO LUO
MI
The jakfruit, bo luo mi
(pineapple honey) is also called mu bo luo (tree pineapple) and shu po luo
(tree pineapple). It is an evergreen tree growing to a height of 8-15
meters. The fruit is very large, and the largest can reach a weight of 25
kg. It is oval, the common variety growing 300-600mm long with a diameter of
200-400mm. It ripens in the summer.
The skin is yellow-green and
covered with hexagonal protrusions. When cut open the skin will be found to
be very thick. The inner part of the fruit is composed partly of a large
number of flexible 'fingers', these are not edible. Nesting in them are
cream colored, smooth, fragrant, egg shaped capsules. This is the edible
part, commonly called 'bao' (parcel or swelling).
Inside each capsule is a single seed. The seed contains abundant starch, and
when boiled until cooked it may be eaten. The flavor is delicately sweet.
The flavour of the capsule is sweet or acid-sweet, its nature neither hot
nor cold. It does not contain poison. It is nourishing, thirst quenching and
calming.
The flavour of the seed is sweet, its nature neither hot nor cold. It does
not contain poison. It can nourish vital energy.
The fruit contains carbohydrate, organic acid, vitamins B, C, etc. The seed
contains starch, etc.
APPLICATIONS
1. DEPRESSION; DRY THROAT; THIRST. Eat 2-3 capsules of fruit daily 2-3
times.
2. INDIGESTION; DIARRHOEA. Eat one capsule of fruit three times a day, every
day.
3. LOW BLOOD SUGAR; HYPOGLYCEMIA. Every day, both in the morning and the
evening, eat 2-5 capsules of fruit. Do this for 3 successive days.
4. DIARRHOEA IN SMALL CHILDREN. Take 2-3 seeds and stir-fry till fragrant.
Add half a piece of dried persimmon and crush together into a paste. Add
water and steam until cooked and serve. Do this every day, 2-3 times.
5. CHRONIC ENTERITIS. Take some seeds and stir-fry till fragrant, then grind
into a powder. Each time use 15 grams mixed with 30 grams of
rice wine*.
Drink this daily, both in the morning and the evening. (*
Japanese sake can
be used. Ed.)
6. HANGOVER. Take 3 capsules of fruit, simmer in water and serve.
PREPARATIONS
1. Remove the thick outer layer of skin (rub the knife with fat or vegetable
oil to prevent the sticky sap in the fruit from adhering to it). A soup
spoon can be used to scoop out the edible capsules. Before eating them
remove the seed from the centre.
2. SEEDS. Wash the seeds clean, boil in water till cooked and eat.
3. RIPENING THE FRUIT. Fruit sold in the city markets is often not ripe (the
surface is green and the skin hard and unyielding). Take a small stick,
sharpen one end and push it into the stem end of the fruit for 100-130 mm.
Put some rice wine* into the hole, and
add to it from time to time. At the same time place the fruit in the sun and
it should quickly ripen. (* Japanese sake can
be used. Ed.)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Because of the large size of the fruit it is usually too much
for one family to eat. However the capsules may be opened up and spread out
flat to dry, either in the sun or in a dehydrator.
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