What the heck is jackfruit, and why is it in my taco? Learn all about this delicious vegan meat alternative that tastes like pulled pork!
I attended a free tasting event sponsored by Upton Naturals and Toro Ironworks but was under no obligation to write a review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Have you guys ever heard of jackfruit? Yea, like a fruit named after some dude you met on the street. I’d heard of the stuff but was never given the opportunity to try it until last week when I was invited to attend a menu preview at Toro Ironworks Kitchen & Bar in Brooklyn. Their latest offering? A jackfruit taco!
What the heck is jackfruit? Well, that’s exactly what I learned at the tasting! Allow me to share my new found knowledge:
Jackfruit is a type of tree in the mulberry and fig family. Its origins are in Asia and apparently the people there have been feasting on it for years! Anywho, the tree sprouts fruit that, when prepared unripe, mimics the consistency of pulled pork, making it a great meat-alternative for all my vegan and vegetarian friends. Jackfruit is low calorie and is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, calcium and iron. The seeds are also rich in protein.
I was really excited to try it! First, we got to wet our appetites with margaritas and a delicious black bean hummus. Then, it was jackfruit taco time!
Toro Ironworks used Upton Naturals Jackfruit to create three different vegan jackfruit tacos for us. The first (the one on the right in the picture below) utilized Upton Naturals’ Chili Lime Carnitas Jackfruit. It’s allergen-free! No soy or wheat or anything! Woot! I just ate the inside of the taco since I can’t have wheat or corn tortillas, but it was delicious and perfectly spicy. The jackfruit really does have the texture of pulled pork. I loved it!
For the taco on the left, Toro Ironworks boiled down the jackfruit and put it in their own delicious sauce. It was amazing! Even though I had to eat around the cilantro (bleh), this was my favorite taco of the night.
The last jackfruit taco was Asian-style with a spicy mayo. Nom.
Last but not least, we got a non-vegan carnitas soup.
Everything was incredibly delicious, and I left with a very full and very happy tummy. Big thanks to Upton Naturals and Toro Ironworks for the delightful meal! I’ll definitely be back to the restaurant and I’ll be experimenting more with jackfruit!
What the heck is jackfruit? Learn all about this delicious #vegan meat alternative! #meatlessmonday
Click To Tweet
Let’s Chat:
Have you ever tried jackfruit?
What’s your favorite type of taco?
This post is linked up with Meatless Mondays.
