Beyond meat: Can we rediscover jackfruit as an alternative to our meaty diets?

Long before it found favour in the west, Bangladeshi cuisine used its national fruit as a meat substitute

Zakia Rubaba Hoque
Published : 4 April 2023, 01:02 PM
Updated : 4 April 2023, 01:02 PM

Last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina caused a stir at the 25th-anniversary event of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University when she suggested that jackfruit could be a delicious alternative to highly sought-after (and expensive) meat like chicken and beef. She noted that people in western countries have embraced Bangladesh's national fruit in traditional meat dishes like burgers and kebabs.

Predictably, the speech led to a flood of comments and memes for a fruit with a mixed reputation among younger people – perhaps second only in notoriety to the bangi melon. Quite a few even accused the prime minister of using outlandish proposals to distract from rising food prices.

Honestly, I barely understand the political or economic reasons for food prices. But I do understand food. And our collective reaction to the idea of jackfruit burgers shows a limited understanding of international trends and our own food heritage.

The prime minister's international trips likely make her one of the more travelled people in Bangladesh, so it's no surprise that she has come across the newest vegan fad – pulled jackfruit burgers. Several western countries have gone gaga over the idea as it provides a natural vegan option to the popular barbecue dish of pulled pork and more processed vegan meat alternatives like Quorn or Beyond Meat. But before we start throwing around accusations of western snobbery, we should remember that Bangladeshi people used jackfruit as a meat substitute long before this newfound international appreciation.

The unripe jackfruit, known locally as echor, is a special part of the Bengali diet. It was coveted for its meaty texture - the stringy fibres that fall apart when you press it and its chewy bounce. In some parts of the country, echor is called ''tree mutton'' because of its uncanny similarity to meat.

So why do we mock the idea of jackfruit as a meat substitute? Ironically, it might be because our diets have shifted more to a more typical western diet. Think about it – at one point, our staple food, even for the middle class – was rice and fish or rice and lentils. But, for many of our generation's middle and upper-middle-class (including me), that staple has changed to chicken curry and rice. And while our parents still have an affection for snake gourd and spinach, most of us prefer meat-heavy restaurant food.

Some of us take pride in the breadth of our palates by trying out sushi or tacos but the most exotic local cuisine we'll consume is the fried hilsa and soaked rice on Pohela Boishakh. When we come across traditional delicacies like echor or lentil bori, we turn up our noses and whine, "Ma, can you fry an egg for me instead?"

The jokes about jackfruit show how our relationship with food has changed over time. Once, jackfruit as a meat alternative was part of our culinary heritage, but younger people now think it's ridiculous. But as we shift towards a more westernised diet, we'll rediscover the joys of jackfruit. Not only will it be a healthy and environmentally sustainable substitute for meat, we can also use it to reconnect to our roots and appreciate our local cuisine's unique flavours and ingredients.

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.