Breadfruit: The Tree Fruit Thais Cook Like a Potato

Breadfruit — สาเก (sa-ke) — Artocarpus altilis.

Roast the heavy, green-skinned globe over coals and the dense white flesh softens. It gives off the smell of warm bread — which is how the tree got its name. Thai cooks slice it thin for crisp sa-ke thot chips, or simmer it soft in coconut milk and palm sugar as sweet sa-ke chuam. Eaten cooked, it works like a starchy potato and carries potassium and fiber. The part on your plate is the starchy fruit flesh, always cooked.

On the plate, breadfruit is exactly what it looks like — a warm, filling, potato-like staple. Slice it thin and fry it into crisp sa-ke thot chips, or simmer it soft and sweet in coconut milk and palm sugar.

Sa-ke Thot — สาเกทอด (sa-ke-thot)
Sa-ke Chuam — สาเกเชื่อม (sa-ke-chuam)

Food and nutrients

Rich in: potassium, fiber, Vitamin C

Research context

Breadfruit pulp shows antioxidant activity in test-tube assays; the cooked fruit's benefit is untested in people — Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2015

Sources

Source: USDA FoodData Central, Breadfruit, raw (per 100g: ~103 kcal, 4.9 g fiber, 490 mg potassium, 29 mg vitamin C). Antioxidant activity of fruit extracts (in vitro): Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 2015; PMID:25649443. Bioactive compounds stable through cooking: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2020; PMID:31846074.

Narration transcript

Opening

Thai breadfruit — สาเก, sa-ke. Roast the heavy, green-skinned globe over coals and the dense white flesh softens. It gives off the smell of warm bread — which is how the tree got its name. Thai cooks slice it thin for crisp sa-ke thot chips, or simmer it soft in coconut milk and palm sugar as sweet sa-ke chuam. Eaten cooked, it works like a starchy potato and carries potassium and fiber. The part on your plate is the starchy fruit flesh, always cooked.

Sa-ke Thot (สาเกทอด)

Thai cooks slice firm breadfruit into thin rounds and fry them into crisp golden chips called sa-ke thot salted and eaten as a snack.

Sa-ke Chuam (สาเกเชื่อม)

For the dessert sa-ke chuam, the flesh simmers slowly in coconut milk and palm sugar until it turns soft and candied in a sweet syrup.

Nutrition summary

Cooked breadfruit is a starchy staple that still carries a fair hit of vitamin C, along with fiber and potassium.

Potassium

Potassium helps with normal fluid balance and muscle function.

Fiber

Fiber adds bulk to meals and can help with fullness.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

Closing

On the plate, breadfruit is exactly what it looks like — a warm, filling, potato-like staple, always eaten cooked, never raw. Slice it thin for crisp sa-ke thot chips, or simmer it soft in coconut milk and palm sugar. Plant one tree from a root sucker and it will feed a household for decades, dropping heavy fruit season after season. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

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