Ugly little fruit, but supposedly a pleasant citrus-like flavor inside once it’s picked at exactly the right ripeness.
The Basics
Kwai muk, Artocarpus parvus, is a tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, and another jackfruit and breadfruit relative.
Origin and Habitat
Native to southern China and Hong Kong, a less commonly cultivated member of the Artocarpus group.
What It Looks Like
Produces small, rough-skinned, unassuming fruit, nothing like the dramatic size of its jackfruit cousin.
Uses and Flavor
Ugly little fruit, but supposedly a pleasant, citrus-like flavor inside once it’s picked at exactly the right ripeness, which is apparently why you basically never see it at markets — the ripeness window is too narrow to ship or sell easily.
Growing It Here
Got this from Ken Love’s nursery. Planted a second one later so they’d have company, which also helps with pollination.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Nothing to report so far, similar to its Artocarpus relatives.
Kenta’s Take
Any fruit that never makes it to market because the ripeness window is too narrow is exactly the kind of thing worth growing at home, ugly or not.