Plant atlas Short
Cempedak: The Jackfruit Cousin Thai Cooks Deep-Fry
Cempedak · จำปาดะ · Artocarpus integer
Cempedak — จำปาดะ (jam-pa-da) — Artocarpus integer.
Tear one open and the smell hits first, a heavy floral musk; inside, soft golden pulp clings to each seed, sweeter and more custardy than its cousin the jackfruit. In southern Thailand the ripe segments get dipped in batter and deep-fried into cempedak goreng, and the seeds are boiled or roasted for a nutty bite. The pulp carries vitamin C, some provitamin A, fiber and potassium. The parts on your plate are the ripe pulp and the cooked seeds.
Eat cempedak for what it is — a musky, custardy fruit that southern Thais batter and deep-fry into golden cempedak goreng. Just cook the seeds first: boiled or roasted, they turn starchy and nutty, a snack in their own right. Like its cousin the jackfruit, the heavy fruit grows straight off the trunk and main limbs. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Cempedak Goreng — จำปาดะทอด (jam-pa-da-thot)
Roasted Cempedak Seeds — เมล็ดจำปาดะคั่ว (ma-let-jam-pa-da-khua)
Source: Boonlaksiri C et al. (2000). An antimalarial stilbene from Artocarpus integer. Phytochemistry 54(4):415-417. PMID 10897483, DOI:10.1016/s0031-9422(00)00074-1. Stem-bark extract in mice: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med (2020). PMID 32190083, DOI:10.1155/2020/4678634.
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, fiber, potassium
Research context
The antimalarial work on cempedak used compounds isolated from its bark and roots, in a lab dish and in mice; the fruit you eat is an aromatic, sweet source of vitamin C — Phytochemistry, 2000