Chakka is the largest fruit grown on a tree and just one tree can produce 150 – 200 fruit per year. The tree bark is orange and is used to dye monks’ robes. The trunk is rot-resistant and is used for making furniture and musical instruments. The fruit is made up of individual flowers that are fused together - these fleshy petals can be eaten cooked or raw and the seeds can be boiled, roasted or ground into flour.

I am shocked to learn that this versatile delight is referred to as ‘poor man’s fruit’. In England we call it jackfruit, derived from the Portuguese word ‘jaca’ which was a version of the name used in southern India, ‘chakka pazham’.

Unlike most fruit, chakka contains protein. It has come to the fore in recent years as the under ripe flesh is used as a meat substitute but for me I love it when it is ripe and has a tropical flavour of mango, banana and pineapple. Ripe chakka is wonderful for making desserts, jams and puddings but today I am making a cake flavoured with coconut, citrus juice and warming spices from Southern India, cardamom and ginger.

Known as the Queen of Spices, green cardamom originated from the rain forests, in the Cardamom Hills. This perennial bush is a member of the ginger family and produces a pod spice with floral and citrus notes. Ginger is a rhizome native to tropical partly-shaded habitat in the moist tropical and subtropical forests and has spicy and warming notes which balances the sweetness of the chakka.

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