According to researchers, jackfruits – also known as nangka in Malaysia and Indonesia – as well as cempedak belong to the same family as breadfruits.
They are some of the most environmentally sustainable species that exist in the wild, and together, they form an important gene bank that can help combat climate change.
“Just one good tree can provide so much fruit, so it’s (an) affordable and nutritious food source,” said Ms Maria Wang, sustainability consultant from the Smithsonian Institution, a museum, education, and research complex in the United States.
This spells good news for food security and the environment as well, she added.
“They take in carbon. And they also need less water and fertiliser than annual crops like rice, wheat and corn, and you can eat the seeds,” she said.
Ms Wang noted that like cempedak and jackfruit, Nangchem is perishable and must be consumed within days.
Developing the technology to export fresh Nangchem is key to exporting the funky-looking fruits worldwide, she added.
