‘Ulu - Breadfruit ~ Jamaican Yellow Heart

This Months Highlight ~ Jamaican Yellow Heart ~ A mature ‘ulu tree produces hundreds of pounds of fruit each year and is an important staple crop throughout the Pacific. As Hawai‘i residents become more aware of a need for food self-sufficiency in the islands, there’s been an increased interest in production of this starchy crop. Breadfruit provides a fair amount of nutrients if you are eating a slice or two as a substitute for a potato. However, an average Pacific islander can easily eat a whole breadfruit in one meal. This not only gives needed energy calories but now the breadfruit jumps up to become a significant source of nutrients to its eater. It is especially good in fiber, calcium, potassium and magnesium. The Pacific islanders developed over a hundred different varieties of breadfruit over the centuries. The type I have growing in our back yard is called Ma'afala by the Samoans. It is a variety that I would recommend. Some scientists think that breadfruit should be the crop o