Jackfruit: A Giant of Sustainability?

Frances

28 Jul, 2021

The photo on top is the place where I first tasted jackfruit. It was a coconut-palm covered beach resort on an estuary in the South Indian state of Kerala—also known as ‘God’s Own Country.’ Just before our boat trip into the backwaters where we would be viewing the dense tropical growth, we were served a plate of this bright yellow fruit. The texture is hard to describe—it’s a bit like a stringy mango, but not as wet, or a dried apricot, but not so dry. The flavor, in my opinion, resembles a subtly sweet apple.

It’s fitting to eat jackfruit in Kerala, because that’s where it originates. It grows in the forests of the Westerns Ghats, the mountain range vertically dividing India’s southern point. Its name comes from Kerala’s native language, Malayalam, in which it is known as chakka. Portuguese traders picked up the word as jaca.[1] It flourishes in rainy, tropical climates, like South India. Countless locals don’t farm it on purpose, but simply harvest it. My in-laws’ backyard has a number of jackfruit trees and a single tree can produce 200 giant fruits in a season. When I say giant, I mean giant—measuring up to 90 cm and weighing up to 50 kg!

My father-in-law with backyard jackfruit.

Kerala, a coastal state, has harbored active trade for millennia. Ancient texts, such as the Tamilian Sangam poems, mention the Yavanas—a word indicating foreigners, including Greeks and Romans. While the Greeks established thriving kingdoms in northwest India for around 300 years, they did not penetrate much into the South.[2] The Romans never occupied the subcontinent, but did establish numerous trade networks, on both Indian coasts and in Sri Lanka. The Roman product of choice was black pepper,[3] which also thrives in Kerala, along with papayas, mangos, bananas, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coffee, tea, cashews, tapioca, and a whole variety of other fruits, vegetables, and spices. And yes, you can see them all growing there. The most abundant native fruit is certainly coconut, and even the state’s modern name ‘Kerala’ means ‘coconut land’ in Malayalam.

All of these foods have made their way to rest of the globe, beginning in ancient times. I heard a joke that, for all the effort Europeans put into controlling the Asian spice trade, European food is surprisingly bland. While funny, the truth is that Indian spices have become commonplace in European cuisine. Just think of the ubiquity of black pepper, or the prevalence of cinnamon and nutmeg in cakes and pastries. What is missing from European cuisine is the ‘hot’ spiciness that people often associate with Indian food. Ironically, the heat-creating chilis, now common in India, actually originated in Mexico. Like potatoes and tomatoes, chilis only came to India post-Columbus.[4]

Jackfruit is one Indian food that hasn’t made much of a stir in Europe and North America until the past decade. Sure, it spread through Southeast Asia and southern Africa in the deep past. It wasn’t until the 1800’s, however, that French and Spanish traders introduced it to Brazil, the Caribbean islands, and Hawaii.[5] Even then, it didn’t catch on much. Perhaps this is because the fruits are so large, and sticky when handling. Throughout south and southeast Asia, however, its preparations are manifold. When still green and not yet sweet, cooks use the fruit in savory recipes, like curries, chips, and pickles. People eat the sweet, yellow, ripe fruit fresh or use it to make juice, ice cream, custard, jam, and even the addictive sweet halwa—gelatinous bricks made of boiled jaggery (sugar cane syrup). Don’t be shy; give it a try! You can even eat the seeds, roasted like nuts.

So why is jackfruit the subject of an article about sustainable foods? Well, jackfruit has recently come on the scene in Western countries as a possible meat substitute. Anything that replaces meat perks up the ears of sustainability-thinkers, as it is now beyond a doubt that plant-based foods are drastically more environmentally sustainable than animal products. But a fruit, replacing a meat? This is not a new idea. Whether green or ripe, the flesh is tough and hearty, and when green, it’s already served as a ‘vegetable,’ not a dessert. In this way it’s similar to its close relative, the breadfruit, the pacific staple that is also used in a multitude of savory and sweet preparations.[6] The possibility of jackfruit passing off as meat came about when formerly carnivorous vegans discovered that cooked, green jackfruit’s texture resembles that of shredded pork or chicken.

In making dietary changes, a person can’t ignore nutrition. According to the USDA, a 100 gram portion of raw jackfruit contains 1.72 grams of protein.[7] That is low. Compare this with a portion of lean beef, which carries a whopping 23.7 grams of protein. A tasty serving of hummus contains 7.35 grams, which one can consider a good protein value for a plant-based product. The bottom line is, you’re not going to get enough protein from eating jackfruit, so your jackfruit sloppy joe or curry meal will need to contain another source of that building-block-of-life.

Can jackfruit redeem itself with other nutrients? It’s pretty low in fiber at 1.5 g. The recommended daily fiber intake for adults is 25 grams for women and 38 for men.[8] That means a serving of food should contain around 5 grams. Jackfruit does provide some vitamins, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, but it is also high in fructose–the natural sugar found in fruit. So what is the big picture? Jackfruit carries the nutritional profile of a fruit, not a meat or meat-substitute. That’s not to say a vegetarian can’t enjoy it cooked in savory, smoky, or spicy sauces. If it takes up a whole meal though, than the eater is missing out on an opportunity for taking in essential nutrients.

My primary criterion for evaluating foods is not their nutrition, but their sustainability. We future-focused humans must look for ways to make our insatiable consumption habits less detrimental to the planet. One way to measure an agricultural product is by its water footprint–how much water it requires to grow and produce. Jackfruit, although massive, is entirely average in terms of water footprint for fruit.[9] One tree uses about 966 liters of water to produce a kilogram of food, similar to other fruits and grains. Vegetables require much less water, around 300 liters per kilo. Nuts are famous for being thirsty, drinking as much as small meat-animals (6,000-10,000 liters/kg). Luckily for jackfruit, it grows in rainy, tropical climates, so the trees don’t usually need more water than the sky provides. They are also extremely bountiful considering the trees don’t take up much more space than other tropical fruit trees, like bananas.

Looking at jackfruit overall, it is neither less, nor more, sustainable than other fruits. Due to its climate requirements, however, a farmer in a cold or dry country would need a greenhouse to raise it. Usually it is shipped to consumers around the world. Of course, long-distance transportation means a high carbon footprint. Jacks are also equal in nutrition to their fellow fruits. They are certainly not a protein source. Therefore, I would say that one should enjoy them for what they are–a tasty, versatile ingredient, yummy in sweets and savories alike. Munch down that jackfruit ice cream or curry. But to create a sustainable food world, we need to overcome our dependence on livestock, and that is something that jackfruit cannot do.

I must direct readers to an interesting study I came across in which a team of scientists used the otherwise wasted cores of jackfruits and durians to make energy-storage ultracapacitors![10]

[1] https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/05/01/308708000/heres-the-scoop-on-jackfruit-a-ginormous-fruit-to-feed-the-world

[2] This is my own area of research expertise.

[3] Anonymous, Periplus Maris Erythraei, 56.

[4] https://www.pnas.org/content/111/17/6165

[5] http://[5] https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/jackfruit_ars.html

[6] https://www.tourmaui.com/breadfruit/

[7] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html

[8] Turner ND, Lupton JR. (2011). Dietary fiber. Adv Nutr. 2(2):151-152. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065764/

[9] https://waterfootprint.org/

[10] Lee, K., Shabnam, L., Faisal, S.N., Hoang, V.C., Gomes, V.G. (2020) Aerogel from fruit biowaste produces ultracapacitors with high energy density and stability. Journal of Energy Storage 27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2019.101152

Are Oats Really the G.O.A.T.?

Frances

5 May, 2021

An oat inundation is occurring all around us. Forget instant oatmeal; try oat groats, oat bran, oat bread, oat flour. There is oat yogurt, oat spread, oat ice cream, and that monarch of millennials, oat milk. The grocery aisles, even the narrow, single-file ones here in Europe, are crammed with oat products, and they are dominating the dairy alternatives. Is it just good marketing, or is this particular edible plant truly the ‘greatest of all time?’

Many will point to its rapid rise and say it’s only a trend. It will be gone before we know it. But a trend is only a trend if it also appears quickly, almost out of nowhere, and oats have been slowly encroaching into the kingdom of wheat for 4,000 years now. Oats grew plentifully in the ancient Middle East, but were not widely eaten. Denizens of the Mediterranean considered them a mere weed. Greeks and Romans cultivated wheat and barley, but they already looked down on barley as the inferior plant (since it was also easier to grow.) Even the self-punishing Spartans had no interest in oats. When boys and girls joined the agoge, the communal military education program, at age seven, they subsisted mostly on melanas zomos, a gruel made of barley and pig’s blood. There is some mention of the Greeks using oats for medicine, though, and Pliny the Elder mentioned that the Ethiopians ate them.[1] Somehow, around 2000 BCE, some stray oats traveled to northern Europe and east to China, where the climates are cooler and damper compared to the hot and dry Mediterranean.[2] About three and half millennia later, they became the favored cereal of Celts, Scandinavians, and Poles.

Maybe these tribal farmers were onto something. Although the English Dictionary creator Samuel Johnson saw the Scots as eating a grain suitable only for horses, what the oat doubters didn’t realize was that the unassuming grass was packed with nutrition. Grains all have their own complex nutritional profiles, but when oats face off with wheat, they win in almost every category. A serving of oats contains 7.6 grams of protein vs. 5 grams for common wheat. They also contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, and thiamin.[3] But their stand-out feature is the soluble fiber beta glucan, which feeds your gut microbiome and lowers cholesterol. Mind you, this refers to whole or steel-cut oats; the processing of rolled ‘quick’ oats depletes them quite a bit.

The dairy-alternative playing field is becoming quite competitive though, so does oat milk still hold the nutritional edge over other milk substitutes? Well, there are many options out there—too many to list, in fact—but the most commonly sold are beverages made from soy, coconut, almond, flax, hemp, and even peas. Among these, each has its own benefits. Since cow’s milk is so strong on protein, that becomes an essential factor for many seeking milk substitutes. Soy, flax, and pea drinks are the highest in protein—on par with milk in fact, at 7 to 10 grams per serving. Oat and hemp milk are medium on protein, with 1-3 grams. Coconut and almond have the least, the latter of which is surprising, considering that nuts in general are a major protein source. Coming from plants, milk alternatives can have a little bit of something that milk won’t provide—fiber. In this case soy and oat drinks fare the best, with about 2 grams, while the others have 1 gram or less. It seems like soy is leading so far, but oat does well again when it comes to fat content. While soy, pea, coconut, flax, and hemp drinks all contain 4 to 5 grams of fat, oat milk only contains 1.5 grams. Almond drinks also have about 1 gram, but they are low in protein and fiber as well. Cow’s milk, of course, ranges from high in fat to fat-free skim. So how does oat milk rank overall? It is a medium competitor in protein, with more fiber and less fat. Make sure to buy versions that contain calcium, though, as that is the biggest loss when quitting animal milk. Other added vitamins, like B12, are a bonus as well.

Nutrition is the core of how we choose our diets, but fortunately, nutrition and sustainability usually go hand in hand. Is that coincidence, or is it because prehistoric humans survived longer and more easily when they ate foods that gave them nutrients AND maintained an abundance of resources? Alas, we are far beyond eating our immediate surroundings, and sustainable food means more than just the ingredients—it comprises production, packaging, and transportation, too. As my favorite oat drink brand Oatly admits, “reducing the climate impact from our production has turned out to be a real challenge considering the fast pace of growth, and our production solutions being in constant flux.”[4] So, making and getting oat products to the world is increasing their carbon footprint (although it is well below the footprint of animal products). On top that, not all oats are equally sustainable. According to Oatly, Finnish oats create twice the carbon footprint as Swedish oats, simply because of the type of soil.

Oats are a comparatively sustainable crop to grow. They are good for soil, absorb excess nitrogen, are naturally resistant to weeds and insects,[5] and use significantly less water than their primary alt-dairy rivals, almonds and soy. Just like with nutrition, sustainability varies based on many factors. Besides carbon footprint, which measures greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and excess water use also negatively impact the environment. Almonds take massive quantities of water, but the total carbon footprint for a glass of almond milk is slightly lower than a glass of oat milk: 0.14 kg/CO₂e versus 0.18 kg/CO₂e. Growing almonds in a drier climate that requires lots of irrigation is certainly problematic. Soy milk’s footprint is only slightly higher than oat milk’s, at 0.195 kg/CO₂e. Oats use the least amount of both water and land. Dairy cows have the highest carbon footprint by far at 0.6 kg, and they require at least 80% more land and water than the alternatives.[6] Oats, like any major crop, are not totally environmentally friendly, as they sometimes result in the cutting down of rainforests. The more these products grow in popularity and variable usages, the more land they take up—this has happened with soy, for example. We can only hope that dairy alternatives will replace dairy products enough that the land currently used by cows can be repurposed for sustainable crops.

I feel good about consuming oat products because they are nutritious, relatively sustainable, and delicious. Everyone has their taste preferences—de gustibus non est disputandum. Yet, you can’t get away from the fact that oats carry their own innate creaminess—that’s why their historical format was always porridge. Oat milk is, in my opinion, creamy and tasty, though I remain aware that a little oil is added to enhance those traits. But I also think that taste is not the most important factor; few adults regularly drink plain glasses of milk. It is usually poured over cereal or into coffee and smoothies, where it takes on the flavors of the other food or drink. By the way, oat milk can be used in any recipe that calls for the addition of milk—my Mixed Veggie Balls, for example, contain both oat milk and rolled oats. Find them on my Recipes page. What I can say for certain is that my morning granola or Weetabix, made thick and mushy with my calcium-fortified Oatly, is something I looked forward to as soon as I wake up.

[1] Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Plin.+Nat.+toc

[2] Maja Boczkowska, et al., in Genetic and Genomic Resources for Grain Cereals Improvement, 2016, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128020005000046

[3] “Compare Nutrients in Various Grains,” https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/health-studies-health-benefits/compare-nutrients-various-grains

[4] “Oatly Sustainability Report 2019,” https://sustainability.oatly.com

[5] Gil Gulickson, “Oats Find a Fit,” https://www.agriculture.com/crops/soil-health/oats-find-a-fit

[6] Tabitha Whiting, “What Milk Should You Buy to Reduce Your Environmental Impact,” https://tabitha-whiting.medium.com/what-milk-should-you-buy-to-reduce-your-environmental-impact-e0489153e3b8

Pea-Protein Mince Tastes Better than Meat

Frances

11 Apr, 2021

You know the feeling. Some tidbit appears in the news that an intact medieval cookbook has been discovered, or some ancient Roman dish has been unearthed. You click further into the story, hoping to see a recipe, already imagining how you’re going to make a splash as a tenth century noble at your next dinner party. You find the recipe, you scroll down, and yuck! Nothing sounds palatable or even familiar. We shouldn’t be surprised, however. Our human preferences for flavors, textures, even methods of eating are always evolving, right along with language, clothing, ideology, and everything in between. I remember the enthusiasm with which I purchased an incredible book, Food and Drink in Medieval Poland,[1] and while I have prepared several of the dishes with delicious results, I will never in my lifetime attempt the ‘Stewed Pig Tails.’

You shrug and think, ‘Well of course we don’t eat the same as ancient or medieval people. They had limited ingredients and simpler dietary needs.’ But their options were not as restrictive as you might think. They traded across several continents, enjoyed new flavors, and experimented with foreign cuisines. Nevertheless, tastes change over time. Even within a single time period, tastes vary by geography. Many Europeans can’t tolerate the spice of Indian food, while many Indians find European food too bland. Our preference for flavor, whether across time or location, is the point where nutrition and resources collide. It’s common knowledge now, for example, that Indian food historically included many spices because they act as a preservative in the hot climate.[2] Traditional diets in northern climates were high in fat to help people survive harsh winters. Spices have always been rarer and more expensive the farther they traveled. Now, in our globally-accessible world, our tastes are not bound by local requirements. We can therefore intentionally adapt our taste preferences for long-term survival of the species, in other words, for sustainability.

We are not mandated to enjoy the taste of meat. Animal muscles contains nutrients our body needs: primarily protein, plus iron and vitamin B12. Humans have historically enjoyed the taste of meat because it provides these nutrients. Yet if we can get these nutrients from a meat-alternative, then that product does not have to, in fact it should not taste like meat. It can be delicious in its own right, and thereby train us to stop craving meat flavors and textures.

My preferred meat-alternative is pea protein, which comes from dry yellow peas. The shells are removed, and the protein isolate is separated from fibers and starches.[3] Pea protein is generally good for health; besides protein, it contains multiple micronutrients. It is also a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine amino acids, although one is only present in minimal levels.[4] The benefit of this is that a vegan does not need to seek a huge variety of proteins throughout the day. Further, non-meat proteins protect one’s body from the negative aspects of meat, especially the link between red meat and cancer, heart disease, and an overall shorter life.[5]

Pea protein is considered quite sustainable. Plants in general are more sustainable than livestock—they allow for more efficient land use, don’t consume food, and use less water. Plus, many animals produce high carbon emissions. The carbon footprint of 100 grams of beef is, on average, 35 kg of CO₂ equivalent. By contrast, 100 grams of peas create a footprint of only 0.4 kg CO₂ equivalent.[6] Many scholars argue that peas are also more sustainable than other meat-substitute plants. They require less water and fertilizer, for example.[7]

Since pea protein is nutritious and sustainable, all that remains is for people to enjoy eating it. Meat-alternative products come in many of the formats of known meat products—nuggets, burgers, sausages. My current favorite is pea protein product in the ‘ground meat’ format. These meat-like preparations are useful because they allow people to incorporate them into familiar recipes and cooking methods. That does not mean, however, that these products need to taste and feel so much like meat that people are ‘tricked’ into enjoying them. Humans will never change their habits if they have to be constantly tricked. People need to enjoy meat-alternatives for what they are—delicious plants, mashed, shaped, and flavored in a variety of ways. If this sounds too processed for you, than step back and think: if our ancient ancestors could turn stalks of wheat into a loaf of bread, we can eat a sticky patty made of separated peas, vegetable oil, and spices.

I live in the Netherlands, and the tastiest brand available at my local grocery store is Naturli’ ‘Minced.’ Naturli’ is a Danish company, formed in 1988, which now offers a full line of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives.[8] Their ‘Minced’ is simply delectable, and I cook with it often. It has an appetizing pink color, and when cooked it turns toasty brown on the outside, but not grayish like beef. I have never lived as a full vegetarian, but I also never really liked meat, eating it only intermittently, so perhaps I have an unfair advantage. I always found meat to be too chewy and dry for my liking. I can state with full confidence Naturli’ Minced is tastier than meat. It begins when it is cooking on the pan and the aroma rises up–pungent and tangy, a little oniony. When eating, it stays moist and slightly creamy, with a pleasing, crispy surface. The flavor is savory and satisfying, even reaching into the umami category. It is filling without leaving a bloated and heavy feeling.

My two favorite dishes to make based on pea-protein Minced are udon stir-fry and veggie balls. For the former, I sauté shredded cabbage and carrots, then sauté the Minced, mix it all up with cooked udon noodles, and stir-fry everything with sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin. It’s not only my personal favorite dish to cook, but my kids’ favorite as well. My two picky eaters actually jump up and down when I say I’m making ‘Japanese noodles.’ Another crowd pleaser are my homemade veggie ‘meatballs.’ I mix the pea-protein Minced with oatmeal, boiled spinach, shredded root vegetables, sautéed garlic and shallots, plus nutmeg and salt. I bake the balls in a slow oven rather than fry them. My kids are happy with nothing but a bowl of ‘meatballs’ and ketchup, while my husband loves them squashed with hummus between some whole-grain French bread.

One of the psychological issues with switching to meat-alternatives is simply a matter of semantics. We are still hung up on describing them as meat or meat products, like burgers and sausages. The word ‘minced,’ perhaps works for British English, but Americans use no such word. We call it ‘ground meat,’ but ‘ground’ alone doesn’t work linguistically. I suggest we just go for broke and call it ‘protein.’ It has a nice science fiction tone to it—I’d like a protein patty, please! Don’t say it sounds too futuristic, because, in case you haven’t noticed, we are already living in futuristic times.

[1] Maria Dembinska and William Woys Weaver, ed., Food and Drink in Medieval Poland, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999)

[2] Gottardi, et al. “Beneficial Effects of Spices in Food Preservation and Safety,” Front. Microbiol. 7 (2016): 1394.

[3] “Pea Protein,” EUVEPRO, https://euvepro.eu/about-proteins/pea-protein.

[4] “Pea is for Protein: What You Need to Know About Pea Protein Powder,” Texas Health Resources, https://areyouawellbeing.texashealth.org/pea-protein-need-know-pea-protein-powder.

[5] “What’s the beef with red meat?” Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/whats-the-beef-with-red-meat.

[6] Hannah Ritchie, “Less meat is nearly always better than sustainable meat, to reduce your carbon footprint,” Our World in Data, Feb 4, 2020, https://ourworldindata.org/less-meat-or-sustainable-meat.

[7] Larissa Zimberoff, “The Rise of the Pea: How an Unassuming Legume Emerged as a Frontrunner in the Race to Replace Meat and Dairy,” Time, Aug 15, 2019, https://time.com/5652178/pea-meat-dairy-alternative.

[8] http://www.naturli-foods.com