It is the moment of the jackfruit warrior, as much as it is for the fruit itself being declared Kerala’s State fruit.
Its appointment, nay coronation, goes beyond the obvious. The backbone of basic local diet- substantially nutritious, easy-to-grow and one that fruits in abundance-,one tree gives as many as 266 fruits, it is part of the Malayali psyche.
Hence every Keralite, in or outside Kerala, the NRK, has more than one chakka (jackfruit) share. Not only as part of cuisine it is also muse for our artists’ who have celebrated it in art and theatre. No wonder this low brow, poor cousin, plain Jane fruit deserves its day.
VS Sunil Kumar, Minister of Agriculture, who declared it fruit of the state in the Legislative Assembly pointed out his ministry’s role in the revival of the fruit’s declining popularity, in the wake of fashionable culinary competition- apples from Kashmir, oranges from Nagpur and strawberries from Munnar and such.
“It used to be a staple meal, one fruit was enough to feed a family. Versatile, delicious it was used in just about any way that you could imagine. Old timers used to say chakkedemorundo (do you have buttermilk made of the chakka). It was a super-fruit- nutritious, tasty- in any form. We decided to promote jackfruit and its numerous value-added products through jackfruit festivals in various parts of the State. Our brand is perhaps more organic and tasty as it is still produced in a natural way. We plan to start a research station for jackfruit at Ambalavayal, Wayanad, to further the efforts.”
For the late artist Rajan Krishnan, whose visual language was distinctively local, the jackfruit remained a constant theme in his works. An early work, where he portrayed himself as a jackfruit tree bearing fruit, titled - Self Bearing Jackfruits - he wrote below: ‘I don’t have to forcefully ‘exhibit’ my sensibility. Whatever I do, or say, or my act naturally expresses my sensibility.’ The fruit, to him was an expression of the tree, implying freedom of expression. In ‘Memorial’, he celebrated the proliferation of the jackfruit tree, laden till its neck, fascinated by its sheer expression of itself. “ Though he drew many trees, the jackfruit tree remained one of his favourites,” said a family member.
In the recently held Theatre Olympics in New Delhi, Chakka, (jackfruit) staged by Thrissur Natakasangham received thunderous accolade. Hari KB, one of the three directors said on using the jackfruit as a metaphor to present a social issue, “Chakka is the image of bounty of natural resources of Kerala. The jackfruit is food and was a mainstay during rainy season in the olden days. In the play the chakka market is central to rural life but is usurped by corporate forces rendering the villagers jobless and dependant on others. The chakka is symbolic of grassroot Kerala.
Written by veteran playwright MS Namboothiri, aka Thupettan, Chakka,’ was at first produced and presented in various venues in Kerala in 2001, as part of the Touring Theatre Project of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. It was reproduced in 2012 as part of the theatre tour organised prior to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
Manoj Kumar IB,a nature lover who works towards creating fruit forests, has over 200 jackfruit trees in various stages of growth in the compound around his house at Edavanakkad. Most of them are traditional varieties, but there is the rare Sindoora varikka (named for its scarlet flesh) too. He collects jackfruit seeds and sows them randomly as well as in a seed bed and gifts saplings. Manoj has about 1,500 saplings ready to be given away. A jackfruit tree thus grown, may take up to 12 years to bear fruit. But such trees live easily up to 200 years. “Earlier, no one planted jackfruit trees. They were so plentiful and every house had at least a couple of them in their yards,” he says. “Today, few have the patience to deal with the fruit--the cutting, cleaning and the processing that comes with it. But, why not use it in our daily cooking? It is purely organic, so while we have them in plenty, why go in search of other expensive organic alternatives?” he asks stating that it still is hugely undervalued.
With it being declared as state fruit, the jack fruit is on its way to getting back its former glory.
BOX A family can use the fruit for two to three days, he says. A large unripe jackfruit can be used to make puzhukku and thoran . When it ripens, the sweet flesh can be enjoyed either as plain fruit or as a milkshake (with coconut milk). The seeds are the best part. They can be used to make mezhukkuperatti or added to any curry. Or they could be dried and powdered to be used instead of maida in cakes, cookies and biscuits. Jackfruit pulp, as every Malayali household does, can be converted to chakkavaratti, which eventually becomes a delicious payasam or jam. Even the spiny outer cover can be dried and powdered and used as a thirst quencher (added to water).
