Breadfruit. Now better than meh.
When I first came to Jamaica three months ago, I had no idea what breadfruit was. It sounded like a strange connection of two words and not appealing. When I think of fruit coming from the tropics, I like to think of something juicy and sweet like a mango or an orange, not starchy, bland or dry like I visualized this strange thing called breadfruit.

The first taste I had of breadfruit was in my first week in Jamaica. Because I had a list of new, local fruits to taste,  I rode breadfruit off as, “meh....it's ok” not one of my favorites. I didn't try it again up until after training and one month later at my site in Saint Mary. Associating myself with the Orange River Research Farm was a stroke of luck in a rather rocky start to my service. The farm, managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, often tests new varieties of otherwise well familiar fruits and vegetables.  I typically tag along their daily tasks at the farm, most are worthwhile experiences as they are either something new, strange and interesting, at least to me. A few weeks ago we rode the tractor, “inna di bush” to a section of breadfruit trees. I wasn't too excited about it but I did sense an extra presence of enthusiasm among the group, normally not present early in the morning.

The variety of Breadfruit trees we were looking at is called, “Ma'afala” and were given by the “Trees That Feed Foundation.” According to the Foundation, “Ma'afala is a very desirable variety of breadfruit, originating from Samoa.” The trees were planted three years ago as a test, to see how well they would do in Jamaica and how they will taste. The farm was patiently waiting for the trees to mature and the fruits to ripen. I then realized that today was the day.

Three fruits were collected, brought back to the office and roasted outside on an open fire. It took a half hour to get each one of them charred to a crisp. To a novice like myself, it appeared burnt but they were perfectly cooked on the inside as someone sliced it open and cut out sections for all to try. 
 The taste was very agreeable to everyone, lighter in texture than the average breadfruit but still good tasting.

Fifteen people gathered at the Orange River research station in Jamaica to eat the first fruit of the Ma'afala trees that were planted in December 2009. Photo by Zavier Gray.

So what is the deal about the Ma'afala? Export markets have a particularly tough time with the narrowing perceptions and sensibilities of developed nations and consumer societies. Oranges have to be “orange,” mangos cannot be stringy and breadfruits shouldn't be too large. Too big of anything typically doesn't sell very well as breadfruits are typically large and heavy. The Ma'afala is a round smaller fruit and it is the Ministry of Agricultural's interest to promote this as a possible viable export crop for Jamaican farmers. The trees are also smaller in size which might mean you can plant more trees per acre.

As for me, I had two slices of the Ma'afala with stewed beef today for lunch. Whether is was the hunger speaking or that rice has been my only staple of carbohydrates for the past three months, I noticed my new appreciation for breadfruit.