Thiruvananthapuram: Until a few years ago, jackfruits had gone unsung in Kerala, despite their impressive health benefits.
But the giant fruit gradually gained traction as many people realised it was a rare farm produce for which pesticides were not used to boost production.
This week, the jackfruit had its biggest moment yet, when the Kerala government declared it the official fruit of the state.
The official intimation came from agriculture minister V.S. Sunil Kumar during a discussion in the state assembly on Wednesday.
The fruit is so ubiquitous in the state that even a guesstimate of production numbers in the state is a tough call.
One estimate puts the number of jackfruits that grow in the state at about 500 million. Jackfruit chips are a rage for every Keralite, and the slim finger-like chips are catching the attention of outsiders as well. The chips are now finding their way into overseas markets where there is a significant diaspora of Keralites.
Jackfruit got a big leg-up a few years ago when a senior Microsoft executive, James Joseph returned to Kerala to pursue his pet idea of promoting the fruit in its myriad forms, including jackfruit biryani and even jackfruit burgers.
Joseph said the jackfruit was more nutritious than meat and mushrooms and that its use was only limited by one’s imagination.
One of those who is convinced by the opportunity that jackfruit presents is Joseph P. Jacob, Kochi-based promoter of Wow Homemade, an online retailer of snacks and condiments.
According to Jacob, many of his NRI clientele buy up cartons of jackfruit chips to take back with them to geographies as diverse as the US and Australia.
With the announcement of jackfruit as its official fruit, Kerala is aiming to give a push to its export as well as marketing of a range of jackfruit-based products.
