In other parts of the world, unripe jackfruit has become the darling of the meat-free crowd because it takes on the flavours of the herbs and spices it is cooked with.
Young jackfruit has a stringy, shredded meat-like texture and packs a punch in the health department.
For lovers of meat, there is no replacement, but before wrinkling your nose, stop by Damansara Intan for PC Studio Café’s five-course all-jackfruit meal and be prepared to be blown away by this rare vegan treat.
Chef Philip Chui and his son Edward, who are both certified plant-based instructors and raw food chefs, have been working for the past six months on creative jackfruit “meat” products for vegans and non-vegans alike.
“The common notion is that a plant-based diet means eating salad all day and we wanted to shake things up. We are working with a farm in Pahang for this project.
“They have more than 20,000 acres of jackfruit. We are almost wrapping things up and are hoping to launch our vegan jackfruit meatballs and burger patties by November,” Philip told FMT.
To demonstrate that jackfruit is more than just a fruit, the restaurant has launched a five-course vegan meal; jackfruit salad; smoked jackfruit sushi maki and pulled jackfruit wrap for the starter; jackfruit slider as the first main followed by spaghetti and jackfruit meatballs; and to end things on a sweet note, a jackfruit-based dessert.
“The jackfruit patty is made up of 70% jackfruit, flour, mushroom and Thai flavourings such as kaffir lime leaves and soy protein. These are all-natural ingredients,” Phillip says.
This jackfruit extravaganza costs RM128 and comes with coffee or tea. Customers will even get to take home a packet of individually quick frozen (IQF) jackfruit.
This method locks in all the nutrients and sweet flavour and extends the fruit’s shelf life.
The starter for this exquisite five-course meal is jackfruit salad made with fresh slices of jackfruit and leafy greens.
Seasoned with sweet soy ginger, the salad is accompanied by a crunchy cracker made with a variety of healthy seeds and a delicious piece of seaweed.
Next comes maki sushi with a wrap, which makes for a delicious if petite treat. The wrap contains jackfruit that is made to resemble smoked meat and has a delicious sriracha sauce coating the inside.
The main course is a plate of marinara spaghetti with meatballs. Made with smoked jackfruit and portobello mushroom, the meatball has a texture similar to that of cucur.
This Italian delicacy is followed by a burger slider, consisting of a raw jackfruit patty with a distinct Thai flavour and a slice of pineapple on top.
The homemade sriracha sauce makes its appearance here again, along with vegan mayonnaise, which makes this mini burger a delight to bite into.
And for the final course, a scoop of ice-cream is served with a piece of jackfruit fried in charcoal tempura, which is best eaten while still hot.
With all the creative and innovative ways that jackfruit is used in this five-course meal, one can only be amazed by how delicious vegetarian food can be.