Ingredients

Breadnut / Camansi: An Alternative to Chestnut by Rico Magda

Unfamiliar to many, a plant named have sandy base soil left by rivers or by about 5 to 8 inches long or longer. It breadnut or camansi (Artocarpus floods. It is also cultivated as a backyard weighs some 800 grams or more when camansi) provides an important source tree. Birds and flying foxes love to feed mature. The fruit is normally green of income especially for women vendors on the ripe fruits and carry large seeds to when not yet fully developed and turns in some tropical areas. It has similar distant land for dispersal. Some Filipino yellowish green when ripe. Spiny soft commercial possibilities like the popular immigrants have introduced breadnut to textures originating from the long tips chestnut (Castanea species).Though New Caledonia, Tahiti, Hawaii, Palau, of individual flowers cover the whole breadnut is usually consumed at the Marquesas, and elsewhere in the Pacific. fruit. immature or soft stage as vegetable Earlier in the late 1700s, according to for soups or stews, this stuff is mainly some reports, some British and French Valuable seeds cherished for its ambrosial seeds. travelers helped in distributing breadnut Industrial possibilities for breadnut are into the tropical areas including the One of the important parts of breadnut many, which include canning in brine, Caribbean, West Africa, and Southeast is the seed. The number of seeds in a roasting, processing into nut paste, Asia. fruit varies, ranging from 12 to 150. A breadnut brittle, flour, and edible oil seed weighs from 7 to 10 grams, and among other. Latest research trend Many names, the same stuff collectively makes up about 40 % of the points to the possibility of producing total fruit’s weight. inexpensive nutritious, palatable high- Various nationals have their own names protein infant food from breadnut and for breadnut. As one knows, breadnut Breadnut’s seeds germinate easily and from its related breadfruit species. The is an English name. In Spain, the same immediately though they have no lost of almost four billion chestnut trees stuff is called castaña, kapiah in New period of dormancy. These are generally in the US due to fungal blight has greatly Guinea, pana de pepitas in Puerto dispersed far and wide by flying animals weakened the chestnut industry. And for Rico, chaitagnier in French, kulur in and some mammals. Delicious, chestnut- this, it has indirectly given us an option Malaysia, and camansi in the Philippines. like seeds are sourced from soft and ripe to look for alternatives. Breadnut could Elsewhere, the same breadnut has fruits. be the one. different common names. Some of breadnut’s relatives closely The “Bread Tree” Breadnut belongs to the mulberry family resemble camansi but closer look reveals (Moraceae). Some of its relatives like some variances. A. altilis or breadfruit Artocarpus altilis, A. communis, and has a very spiny fruit and is not pulpy at A. incisa are sometimes mistakenly all. Dugdug (A. mariannesis) has a small, referred to it. Other related species dark-green fruits. The fruits are circular, include the jackfruit (A. heterophyllus), sometimes bean-shaped with yellowish dugdug (A. mariannensis), and flesh and dark-brown seeds. champedak (A. integer). The breadnut tree is cold sensitive and Camansi grows to some 15 to 20 meters limited by low temperature. It will not high or taller with trunks diameter of one thrive in climate below 5 ˚C (41 ˚F). It can meter or more. The tree exudes whitish, thrive between 15 to 40 ˚C (50 to 104 ˚F), sticky latex noticeable in all living parts the ideal growing climate pegged at of the tree. It forms basal buttresses at 21 to 32 ˚C (70 to 90 ˚F). It can tolerate the trunk region. lower temperature from 5 ˚C to 10 ˚C (41 to 50 ˚F) but not below this range. Male and female flowers appear on Its ideal lowland elevation is below the same tree visible at the ends of 650 meters (2,130 feet) but capable of branches. Club-shaped male flowers growing even in higher elevation of Breadnut is actually the seeded species (3 cm diameter) appear earlier than 1,550 meters (4,950 feet). Yearly rainfall related to the seedless breadfruit the globose female flowers (5 to 7 cm ideal for camansi is between 1,300 to (Artocarpus altilis). Another related wide). The female part has thousands 3,800 mm (50 to150 inches) preferably species is dugdug or Artocarpus of small flowers fixed to the middle with rainy summers. mariannensis, which grows wild in spongy core. Micronesia. Just like most trees, breadnut will find Breadnut has large hairy leaves of more difficulty thriving in heavy clay soil as it Camansi is indigenous to the Philippines, than 24 inches long. The leaves have prefers sandy or sandy loam with good New Guinea, and to Indonesia. It thrives alternate form dissected into six pairs drainage. It grows abundantly in the widely in low, alluvial forests, which of lobes. Its fleshy fruit is ovoid or oval damp tropical areas.

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The National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii keeps some breadnut germplasms. It has 24 collections of A. camansi originated from Palau, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and elsewhere. Here, breadnut fruits from October until July. In the Philippines, on the other hand, fruiting season begins in April and May. Fruit production starts some 8 to 10 years from planting. Mature breadnut tree produces some 600 to 800 fruits each season. Estimates show that for a hectare with 100 trees producing 200 fruits each could produce an average fresh seed harvest of 11 metric tons.

Propagating breadnut

Seeds can sexually propagate breadnut Due to short time viability as seeds analysis of breadfruit published in the easily. These propagules immediately quickly lose their natural ability to Economic Botany 33(2):199-202. germinate and sprout even inside the germinate, breadnut has been considered mature fruits. Asexual propagation as a non-invasive species. Few pest Breadnut seeds are valuable as a food such as root cuttings seems not and diseases attack breadnut. Unlike source. In some areas in the Caribbean working in breadnut but possible its related species that are susceptible and in the Central and South America, with some related species. Asexual to fruit rots, breadnut can resist the the seeds are gathered widely for local propagation by budding and grafting, fungal invaders caused by Rhizopus, consumption. Seeds are available in however, has been successfully tried Colletotrichum, and Phytophtora. the local markets as well as in various in the Philippines. restaurants. Culinary use In some asexual propagation trials, The nearest related species of breadnut is breadnut is sometime used as the Immature breadnut fruits are consumed breadfruit. Just like breadnut, breadfruit rootstock. Researchers have resorted as vegetable in soup and stew. The fruits is widely planted in the tropical regions to vegetative propagation to conserve are sliced thinly and used as such. Aside and is indigenous in the Pacific especially and multiply superior types of from that, the main reason for growing in the Malayan Peninsula. Unlike seedless breadfruit. The Horticultural camansi is due to its tasty, nutritious, breadnut, breadfruit yields some false Crops and Research Development in and chestnut-like seeds. This seed is rich fruits developed from the perianth Sri Lanka has conducted grafting in protein but low in fat in comparison originating from some 1,500 to 3,000 study using breadfruit as scion and with some nuts such as almond and flowers. Breadfruit is starchy and cooked breadnut as rootstock. Researchers macadamia. The fatty substance from in various ways: fried, roasted, boiled, used breadnut seedlings with age it is light, yellow resembling that of etc. Cooked breadnut tastes like potato, range of 30, 45, and 60 days. Results peanut’s. The fat is viscous at tropical or similar to freshly baked bread. of the grafting study have shown 83 % room temperature and has physical success rate using breadnut seedlings properties similar to olive oil. The seed Breadfruit and fermentation at 45 days. Grafted seedlings are ready is rich in minerals and has more niacin for planting in three months and than seed nuts. Breadfruit tree produces much fruit and expected to fruit two to three years it becomes a problem using the heavy after planting. Grafted plants bear fruit Breadnut seed per 100 gram edible production during a certain time of the early, averaging some 10 fruits on the part (dry weight) is composed of cropping season. Balick and Cox in a first harvest. the following: water, 56 to 66.2 %; publication titled “Plants, People, and carbohydrates, 76.2 g; protein, 13.3 Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany,” With seeds, a close to 100 % rate of to 19.9 g; fat, 6.2 to 29.0 g; calcium, 66 has reported one traditional way of germination is possible. Breadnut to 70 mg; niacin, 8.3 mg; iron, 8.7 mg; preserving breadfruit. The process seedlings grow fast, reaching a meter phosphorus, 320 to 360 mg; potassium, includes washing and peeling the fruits high in just six months. Once the tree 380 to 1,620 mg; magnesium, 10 mg; and then burying them in a pit lined is established, it can tolerate longer and sodium, 1.6 mg. Additionally, in with leaves. Fermentation occurs for dry season of three to four months. In the same 100 grams of edible seed, four several weeks until the buried breadnut such condition, mulches help the plant amino acids, namely, methionine, serine, turns sour and pasty. Such fermented in conserving moisture from the soil leucine, and isoleucine constitute the breadfruit mash called mahr or masi, and in controlling weeds around the 14 amino acids found in it. Quijano remains good for a year or more. Some tree base. and Arango have the detailed chemical fermentation pits, according to reports,

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have stored edible fermented breadfruit mash for more than 20 years! Still, they unbelievably stay good!

Just like breadnut, breadfruit can also be processed into various kinds of foods. A typical sample of food product from breadfruit comes as a mixture of coconut milk, and mashed fermented breadfruit. This mix is then baked, wrapped in banana leaf. When the whole fruit is used, it is baked in an open fire. The middle core is removed and filled with cooked meats, coconut milk, sugar, butter, and laced

with variety of fruits. The fruit fillings are Photos: Rico R. Magda further cooked to permeate the breadfruit flesh and give a flavorsome appeal. 50 % breadfruit pulp, 40 % malted, two weeks as recorded in “The Grocer’s roasted corn, and with 10 % roasted Encyclopedia – Encyclopedia of Food and When mashed breadfruit is mixed peanuts. The said formulation gets higher Beverages” (Artemas Ward, New York). with mashed taro, the resulting staple marks in terms of aroma, mouthfeel, From chestnut, a fine granular sugar as preparation is called breadfruit poi or sweetness, texture, aftertaste, and total well as beer can be extracted from the poi ‘ulu in Hawaiian acceptability. Analysis has shown that fermented juice. This nut when roasted the formulated infant food is comparable provides a coffee substitute. Breadnut and breadfruit as infant to the commercial one particularly with food the fat and protein contents. This study Chestnut can be consumed as candied, has shown the possible use of local steamed, grilled, roasted or fried, and In a product development study in Ghana staples such as breadnut and breadfruit boiled. It can also be used as stuffing for (Nelson-Quartey, Amogloh, Oduro, as nutritious and palatable alternative food, vegetables, and other edibles. This Ellis) on the formulation of infant food, in manufacturing infant foods. Such nut is available in the market as fresh, researchers have incorporated breadnut study fits into the traditional needs for ground, dried, or canned whole or in puree. and breadfruit to locally made infant inexpensive yet nutritious food. foods. Their objective is producing equally Billions of chestnut trees perished nutritious, palatable, and inexpensive Both breadnut and breadfruit’s fruits infant food alternative. In this new and seeds are edible. These trees are Earlier during the 20th century, a disease product development, researchers have considered as multi-purpose and are easy known as chestnut blight caused by a formulated infant food using breadfruit to raise. Aside from the tasty fruits and fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) killed pulps and breadnut seeds available seeds, Artocarpus species are beneficial some four billion American chestnut in the area. With the pulps and seeds, to the environment. They also produce trees. The ensuing effects were alarming researchers added other ingredients such medicine, fabric, insect repellant, animal that breeding for resistant chestnuts got as roasted malted maize, roasted peanuts, feeds, glue, etc. The “bread tree” can high priority. Due to the blight infestation, sugar, full-fat powdered milk, and dried offer much importance in alleviating chestnut almost disappeared from the powdered carrots. Some physicochemical malnutrition and hunger in the tropics. dining tables. Today, the demand for studies on the raw ingredients and chestnuts outstrips the supply. In 2007, the formulated infant food were also Breadnut and chestnut the US imported some 4,056 metric tons of conducted, which include moisture, fats, in-shell chestnuts worth $10 million from fiber, carbohydrates, and ash content. In some aspects, breadnut or camansi the Europe, mostly from Italy. Today, the can be used just like chestnut (Castanea US chestnut industry produces just less Researchers also studied other factors species). As earlier mentioned, than 1 % of the total world production. such as water-binding capacity, swelling, breadnut seed shares the same culinary solubility, viscosity, and dispersability. characteristics as well as flavor with With such steep demand for chestnut, A local infant food and a commercial chestnut. some alternatives like breadnuts may one, which are both corn-based, were fill the bulky needs in due time. Even compared. Researchers roasted the Several chestnut species such as the the hit recording of Nat King Cole’s “The ingredients to reduce the water content Japanese, American, Chinese, and Sweet Christmas Song” that begins with the and to increase the shelf life of the Chestnut thrives in various orchards phrase “Chestnut roasting on an open fire“ product. Malting the corn, on the other worldwide. Generally, chestnuts are may now, perhaps, be sang as “Breadnut hand, reduces the product’s water- dried and milled into flour for bread, roasting on an open fire.” binding property as well as viscosity cakes, pancakes, and pastas. Chestnut Key No. 71979 while becoming more soluble. With flour is used as thickener for soups, The Author sensory evaluation, the top preference sauces, and stews. Breads made from Rico R. Magda is plant pathologist at the goes to the product formulation having chestnut flour remain fresh for about University of the Philippines at Los Baños.

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