Artocarpus lacucha – The Monkey Fruit
Artocarpus lacucha is a breadfruit species in the family Moraceae (the mulberry trees). It is native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, it occurs in some central provinces.
- Family: Moraceae
- Genus: Artocarpus
- Species: Artocarpus lacucha
- Synonyms: Artocarpus ficifolius W.T.Wang, Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb., Artocarpus yunnanensis H.H.Hu, Saccus lakoocha (Roxb.) Kuntze
- English name: monkey fruit, monkey-jack
- Vietnamese name: chay, chay Chiêm, chay lá to
CONFUSION WITH Artocarpus tonkinensis
In Vietnamese, Artocarpus lacucha is called chay, however the name chay is also applied to another Artocarpus species named Artocarpus tonkinensis. The Artocarpus lacucha fruits have irregular shape and yellow flesh, but the Artocarpus tonkinensis ones are rounder and have pink flesh.
CULINARY USES
The fruits of Artocarpus lacucha are consumed in a similar way with those of Artocarpus tonkinensis. They taste sour and become a source of acidity in cooking.
They can be eaten as a rustic snack, or used as an ingredient in Vietnamese sour soup.
