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Breadfruit
Chataigne
Poole Village, Trinidad
The three main types of breadfruit found in the Caribbean are the yellow heart, the
white heart, and the prickly breadfruit, more commonly known as chataigne. ('Chataigne' is
the French word for 'chestnut,' and the fruit was certainly given its name because of its
similarity, in both taste and smell, to the chestnut of the temperate countries.)
The breadfruit is believed to be native to the area extending from New Guinea through the
Indo-Malayan Archipelago and Western Micronesia. The early English explorers who
discovered breadfruit in the early 18th century were so impressed with its versatility as
a food that after several periods of famine in Jamaica between 1780 and 1786, plantation
owners in what was then the British West Indies petitioned King George III to import
seedless breadfruit trees to provide food for their slaves. Captain William Bligh made his
first voyage to Tahiti in 1787 with a cargo of over 1,000 potted breadfruit plants, but on
this expedition his crew staged a mutiny and he was forced to try again to introduce
breadfruit to the Caribbean. His second attempt was a successful one, and in 1793 the HMS
Providence delivered 600 plants from Tahiti to St. Vincent and Jamaica. The shipment also
included the seeded breadfruit, chataigne, which had been picked up during a stopover at
Timor, where Bligh had travelled with the remaining members of the crew after the mutiny.
The director of the St. Vincent Botanical Garden was a great advocate of the new crop and
distributed plants to the Leeward and Windward Islands and the Bahamas. Most of the
breadfruit in the Caribbean and elsewhere in the tropics originated from those few early
introductions. The French also brought breadfruit to their Caribbean colonies: Martinique
and Cayenne received a variety from Tonga via the Pamplemousse Botanical Garden in
Mauritius.
When breadfruit first reached the Caribbean, the slaves refused to eat the foreign food
and it was instead fed to animals. Only years after abolition did Caribbean people begin
to eat it themselves.
Nutritional analysis reveals that breadfruit (the seedless variety) is a relatively good
source of iron, calcium, potassium, riboflavin, and niacin. The mature fruit is high in
carbohydrates, low in fat and protein, and a good source of minerals and vitamins,
especially B vitamins. The nutritional composition of breadfruit varies depending on the
method of preparation and the ripeness of the breadfruit (ripe breadfruit is more
nutritious). Chataigne contains twice the protein of the seedless breadfruit and is also
low in fat.
Breadfruit is a cook's delight. It can be cooked and eaten at all stages of maturity,
although it is most commonly harvested and consumed when it is mature but firm. It can be
used in place of potato and as a rice substitute. The very green ones are used for chips
when the breadfruit is green (but mature); the riper (but firm) ones can be used for pie
in much the same way as macaroni and cheese. It can be roasted with butter on an open fire
and can be boiled as a simple side dish. It also makes a good soufflé when combined with
milk and eggs and can be made into a roll with stuffing. It can be boiled and crushed,
mixed with seasonings, egg and cheese, and deep fried to make breadfruit cheese balls. One
of the most popular dishes made with breadfruit is oildown, which is a one-pot meal made
with pigtail, seasonings, coconut milk and sometimes dasheen bush. Ripe chataigne seeds
are usually boiled in salt water and eaten as a snack.
Breadfruit must be used within a few days of being picked. It is often stored in water to
prevent it from deteriorating.
Chataigne Tree
Poole Village, Trinidad
Very Young Chataigne
Poole Village, Trinidad
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