The Other Ugly Fruit - JAKA

The Jaka (pronounced: Yaaka) is a large oval bumpy green fruit. They grow in trees similar to coconut or bananas... dropping down heavily from the leaves toward the ground. We've seen these monstrosities on the Gold Coast everywhere, but had no way to know what they were or how to eat them. In the San Blas flea market on Saturday morning, we came upon an old farmer and his children hacking away at the beastly outside and pulling out the golden tender fruit.

Sampling a Jaka has been a new experience for us. Having a flavor between and banana and a peach, the flesh is sweet and subdued. We rifled through our Jaka in a day. A large seed pops out of the center of each section. These can be boiled or toasted and eaten as well, although  we didn't try to eat the seeds. The Jaka is our new favorite fruit. We like it much more than papaya. Delicious!