As a nine-year-old, I remember taking strolls with my tutor around her well-kept lawn while waiting for my car to arrive. My tutor, Zahra Mirza, was a kind, elderly lady of mixed British and Indian parentage, who always had an anecdote or interesting fact to share. She would tell me about her hummingbirds and the eggs laid by some of the birds in the small clay pots in the spacious cage.
She also seemed to know the names of every plant in the garden. Often, we would stop for a bit longer to check on the jackfruit tree. I had never seen the big, spiky, golden-yellow fruit anywhere other than on her property. She said that the tree was a gift from friends in India’s Mangalore (now Mangaluru), if I remember correctly.
A ripe jackfruit may be enjoyed fresh or cooked. Here is a recipe for jackfruit fritters and an easy chutney as a condiment
For years afterwards, I never encountered another jackfruit. But I spotted it recently at Karachi’s Empress Market. It was being sold as kathal, its local name, at Rs400 per kilogramme. Given the fruit’s enormous size, buying one is not a matter of a kilo or two — the price of one fruit is in the thousands.
Curious, I did some quick research. I found out that the fruit, though sweet-tasting, is good for diabetics, and even better for those with a sluggish thyroid, cardiac issues and blood pressure.
