Jackfruit (kathal) a large fruit of a milky-juice tree, Artocarpus heterophyllus, of family Moraceae. The fruit, botanically named sorosis, is a modification of the entire pistillate catkin and contains 100-500 large, oily seeds. The edible, pulpy part represents the parianth. It is designated as the national fruit of Bangladesh. The close relatives of jackfruit are champedak (A. champenden), monkey jack (A. lakoocha), and breadfruit (A. altilis). Of these, monkey jack is grown in Bangladesh. Jackfruit originated in the forests of the Western Ghats (India), where it still grows in the wild, as well as in the evergreen forests of Assam and Myanmar. The plant is now grown throughout the lowlands of the tropics and the subtropics. It is seen throughout Bangladesh but is grown in abundance in Naogaon, Dinajpur, Savar, Madhupur and Sylhet.
The jackfruit plant is an evergreen tree, 9 to 25 m high, and possesses milky latex in all parts. Its stems are straight, branching near the base, and forming dense, irregular crowns. The staminate flowers are borne in slender, dropping catkins formed at the end, or leaf axils of small branches. The jack plant flourishes best in a humid, warm climate, requires plenty of soil moisture, open textured deep-alluvial soil, and good drainage. Fruits contain vitamins A and C, while the seeds contain carbohydrate, protein and fat. The juicy pulp of the ripe fruit is eaten fresh, as a dessert, or is preserved in syrup. The seeds are eaten cooked, roasted or fried. The young fruit is consumed as a vegetable and also made into pickles. The leaves and rind of the fruit are fed to livestock. The wood is used for making furniture and musical instruments. [Muhammad Nurul Amin]
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