BREADNUT SEED

Ukwa food (African breadfruit) is one of the exotic food eaten in Igboland and several other parts of Nigeria.; The seeds have stood the taste of time to become one of the most desired food by the upper class in Igboland. Apart from being the food of luxury, the nutrients packed African breadfruit boasts so many health benefits. Fresh seeds contain 38.3% carbohydrate, 15.9% fat and 17.7% crude protein.  Breadnut seeds contain adequate levels of protein. 100 grams provide 7.4 grams of protein, approximately 23% of the recommended amount. Breadnut seeds help conserve calcium in the body. Their riboflavin, zinc, and manganese components are also essential for bone metabolism and overall bone health

Beginning in the 1700’s the British and French spread breadnut throughout the tropics including the Caribbean’s Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana, Central and  South America, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa especially western Africa.

Breadnut (Artocarpus camansi) is native to new Guinea and possibly the Moluccas (Indonesia) and the Philippines. In New Guinea it is a dominant member of alluvial forests in lowland areas and is one of the first species to appear on the tops of frequently flooded banks of rivers.  the trees grow widely scattered through the first and are dispersed by birds, flying foxes, and arboreal mammals that feed on the flesh and drop the large seeds. Artocarpus camansi has often been considered to be a form of seeded breadfruit, Artocarpus Altilis. Breadfruit however, is a separate species that originated from its wild-seeded ancestor, breadnut.  Pacific islanders did not distribute it through the region, probably because the seeds are short-lived and would be difficult to transport long distances. A few trees, all fairly new introductions can be found in New Caledonia, Pohnpei, the Marquesas,  Palau, Tahiti, and Hawaii. While breadnut is uncommon in the Pacific islands, it has long been cultivated and used in other tropical regions. Beginning in the 1700’s the British and French spread breadnut throughout the tropics. The oblong, spiny fruits have little pulp and are primarily grown for their large nutrious seeds, although  immature fruits, seeds and all, are thinly sliced and cooked, as a vegetable, especially in the Philippines. The seeds are high in protein and relatively low in fat. they are boiled and roasted and similar to chestnuts in texture and flavor.