“Here’s Jak!”

Woke up this morning to find this under the tree. Not sure if it means I been naughty or nice – been trying my best to be both – it’s a fine line.

Nah, just kidding. Actually, this is our good friend Jak. Can you say latex? Jak has a thing for latex. (No..not naughty latex..c’mon on!)

Okay, now I’m serious. The Jakfruit tree is a tremendous member of the fig family (that’s also the cannabis family for you naughty herbiphiles). It hardly sheds its leaves , is very handsome, and very edible; either in the sweet stage (flavored not unlike Juicy Fruit gum) or it can go into soup/curry-laidat as a vegetable in its less ripe state. Add to this, the seeds cook up to give a nice chestnut like gig. However, and speaking of gum, the Jakfruit contains latex like a mo..well, get plenty latex. So – the vivisection of Jak does put forth copious ooze of latex. They say you can cover your cutting board and knife and hands and face and all with vegetable oil..The fact of the matter is that you’ll probably still get gummy latex on ..stuff. It’s really no worse than if you say, taped duct tape on your cutting board, knife, hands, and face – let it stay in the sun for about a week and then just pulled the tape off.. and had that scummy stuck duct-crud on everything..

Anyway, the taste is..the bomb (true to its hanging unexploded ordnance attitude). Fortunately, it can also be dried..so you don’t have to eat 32 pounds of it in one sitting.

Jak..I think I’ll keep her. (Oh. But any of you within distance, drop a line – I gots plenty to share – the trees also grow just fine from seeds, contrary to the grafted-schmafted rap that one hears. This one is from a seed. The other not-fruiting-as-of-yet-one in the yard is a grafted one..)