What Is Jackfruit (Langka)? The World's Largest Tree-Borne Fruit Explained

Jackfruit — known as langka in the Philippines — is the world's largest tree-borne fruit, capable of growing over 25 to 35 kilograms on a single tree. It belongs to the mulberry family and carries the botanical name Artocarpus heterophyllus. Whether you're tasting it ripe and sweet or cooking it as a savoury vegetable, langka is one of the most versatile fruits grown right here in Calauan, Laguna.

Where Does Jackfruit Come From?

Jackfruit is native to South and Southeast Asia, and it has been cultivated in the Philippines for centuries. The tree thrives in tropical climates — warm temperatures, rich soil, and good rainfall — making provinces like Laguna an ideal growing region. At Hannah's Farm, our langka trees grow alongside avocado and banana on our family-owned land, benefiting from the fertile volcanic soil at the foot of the Sierra Madre range.

What Does Langka Look Like?

A mature jackfruit is unmistakable: its thick green or yellowish skin is covered in blunt, spiky bumps, and a single fruit can be as long as 90 centimetres. When you slice it open, a sticky white latex sap flows from the rind — this is one reason many cooks use oil on their hands and knife before cutting. Inside, you'll find bright golden-yellow fleshy pods (called arils) surrounding large oval seeds. See our guide on how to cut a jackfruit for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Ripe Versus Unripe: Two Completely Different Ingredients

Langka is eaten at two very different stages of ripeness, and each stage behaves like a different ingredient entirely.

Ripe jackfruit is sweet, intensely fragrant, and golden-yellow. The soft arils are eaten fresh as a fruit or stirred into classic Filipino desserts like halo-halo, buko pandan, and mais con yelo. The flavour is often described as a mix of mango, pineapple, and banana.

Young or unripe jackfruit has firm, pale flesh with almost no sweetness. It absorbs whatever seasoning you cook it in, which makes it perfect as a vegetable. The most beloved Filipino preparation is ginataang langka — young jackfruit slow-cooked in coconut milk with pork, shrimp paste, and chilli. Internationally, unripe jackfruit has become popular as a plant-based meat substitute because its texture, when shredded, closely resembles pulled pork or chicken.

Can You Eat Jackfruit Seeds?

Yes — and Filipinos have been doing it for generations. The large seeds hidden inside each aril are entirely edible once cooked. They are most commonly boiled in salted water until tender, then eaten as a simple snack, or they are roasted and eaten like nuts. Boiled langka seeds have a starchy, mild flavour similar to chestnuts or taro. Nothing from a jackfruit goes to waste.

Is Jackfruit the Same as Durian?

No. Jackfruit and durian are completely different fruits and are not related. This mix-up comes up often because both are large, tropical, and spiky on the outside. The key difference: jackfruit has a sweet, pleasant aroma when ripe, while durian is famous for its strong, pungent smell. They belong to different plant families, taste nothing alike, and should never be confused when cooking or ordering.

Why Langka Matters for Filipino Food Culture

Langka appears at almost every stage of Filipino life — from the street-food vendor selling chilled ripe arils by the cup, to the family pot of ginataang langka simmering on a weekend afternoon, to the halo-halo glass loaded at a neighbourhood carinderia. It is affordable, abundant, and deeply tied to provincial cooking traditions. As interest in plant-based eating grows both locally and abroad, young unripe jackfruit is also finding new audiences as a sustainable meat alternative. Learn more about the health side of this fruit in our article on jackfruit benefits.

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