Dennie Quill, Contributor

I quite like the idea that various small towns across the island have been taking the initiative to promote what they produce whether it be yam, ackee, mango, banana or jerk pork. Thus food festivals have become the perfect platform for showcasing excellent products, exploring new tastes and discovering innovative culinary trends. These festivals are growing in popularity and I am happy to see that Bath, St. Thomas, recently staged a breadfruit festival. There is nothing quite as delightful as a slice of 'yellow heart' breadfruit for which this area is noted.

Let's focus on breadfruit. This Pacific native introduced to Jamaica by Captain Bligh in 1793, has been a staple for rural households. The young breadfruit was good for soup, the matured breadfruit would be roasted or sometimes used in a salad and the ripe breadfruit made fritters. Today our children have become so urbanised they have developed distinct foreign palates and many don't eat stuff like breadfruit, instead they embrace pancakes and waffles. No one bothers to plant breadfruit these days. And despite some feeble attempts breadfruit has never realized its true commercial potential.

Dietary challenges

With dietary challenges like obesity, diabetes and some cancers, it is very important for us to be better educated about our local foods. Products like mango, breadfruit, yam, potato should be considered from a scientific and commercial standpoint. I recall hearing sometime ago that the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) based at the UWI, Mona, had done research on a variety of foods including breadfruit. However, I don't think those findings have been widely published. We know that breadfruit is rich in starch and proteins and has a range of amino acids. But there are many unanswered questions. Is the starch in breadfruit bad for our health? Can we balance the negative effects of the starch by marrying breadfruit with green vegetables? What vitamins can be found in breadfruit?

There is at least one institution which has been created to promote the study and use of breadfruit for food and reforestation purposes. The Breadfruit Institute at the Tropical Botanical Gardens in Hawaii, which was established in 2002, manages the largest breadfruit collection in the world with more than 120 varieties. Noting that the fruit is relatively disease and pest-free, (except for fruit fly, white fly, mealy bugs) one of the institute's goals is to develop breadfruit's commercial potential. It also plans to distribute varieties from the collection to tropical countries. I see that the Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Caribbean University and Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) are collaborating to do research on the breadfruit's economic potential. I think this is to be encouraged. Maybe they plan to collaborate with the Breadfruit Institute which has already done extensive mapping and analysis of the fruit. Such collaboration can only accrue to the benefit of Jamaica and may result in a breadfruit renaissance.

Time-consuming

Lately I have heard friends complaining that preparing breadfruit is too time-consuming - much easier to make pancakes, they say. Perhaps our manufacturers have been short-sighted in coming up with convenient choices for the busy housewife. About two years ago I stumbled upon roasted breadfruit in the supermarket, I believe it was packaged by Jamaica Producers - then it vanished. But what about frozen, dehydrated or canned breadfruit? Are there no innovators left out there?

In the meantime, if you are in search of a good roasted breadfruit for Sunday morning's breakfast, don't lose heart. I have discovered that the ever savvy sidewalk vendors on Red Hills Road and Barbican square are offering roasted breadfruit for sale. It might be a tad expensive, but there is a price for gastronomic excellence.

There was a time when young children would plant a tree to celebrate their birthdays, that tradition has died. However, I urge you to heed these wise words uttered more than 200 years ago.

"If a man plant (sic) 10 breadfruit trees in his life, he would completely fulfil his duty to his own as well as future generations" - Sir Joseph Banks (1796).

Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.