Fruit from Philippines: My favorite ...Langka (Jackfruit)

Jackfruit/Chakka/Langka Tree in the backyard of my Aunt in the Province of Marinduque, Philippines

One of the most delicious fruits in the Philippines with its exotic taste and tasy smell and one of my favorite fruits of all times. It is called Langka in the Philippines and Jackfruit in English. In southern state of India, Kerala, its Malayalam name is Chakka and a beloved fruit there, too.

Separating the main meat/flesh of Langka from the white meat surrounding it and also the seeds.

My fresh Langka flesh/meat is now ready for eating as is. With me around, it will never reach the pot for making preserves. I love eating Langka as is

Lucky enough to be able to spot a Langka vendor while enjoying my trip to San Pablo City, Laguna wet market. Some vendors just put up a table along the side streets and sell whatever produce the harvest from their backyards.

In my hometown and other parts of the Philippines, mostly in the provinces where Langka fruits are mostly grown in the backyards, Langka can be bought whole or in small slices. I bought this 1/4 sliced just to try if its already tasting sweet. I find buying them in slices in the markets along the side streets not hygenic because of the presence of flies which are attracted to its smell, but mostly the slices are wrapped  in plastic bags. 

Nowadays, Jackfruit is made into an ice cream flavor together with coconut. In groceries, bottled Langka Preserves  are always available also in big supermarkets. 

The meat or flesh is cooked in sugar and is one of the best ingredients for Philippines sweet delight called Halo-Halo and made as a filling together with Saba (cooking banana) for a traditional Filipino snack called Turon (cooking banana and a sliced of langka wrapped in rice wrapper).

When I was young, my mom would gather the seeds and boil them with a bit of salt and it is to die for. The good old boiled Buto ng Langka (boiled jackfruit seeds) brings back so many happy memories of past gone by with my siblings. 

Here below are pictures of Chakka from the district of Allepey in Kerala, India where they eat almist all parts of the jackfruit. The seeds are made into delicious Curry, the meat is made into Chakka Bajji (battered and fried Chakka flesh) and the white part which we throw in the Philippines is made into chips which is good for tea snacks. 

In the district of Allepey in the southern state of Kerala, India, they are sold in whole along the side streets of the main roads so people can spot them easily. Some mobile food shops are also put up to make and sell battered and fried meat/flesh of Chakka called Chakka Bajji. This Chakka Bajji was one of the Keralan food that I ate before I departed from  India to enjoy my 6 months vacation of the Philippines. 

Chakka Chips from the white flesh of Chakka are sold in some bakeshops in plastic packs and sold as snacks and seeds are  available in small variety stores so housewives can access them easily for making everyday dishes out of Chakka seeds.