Ulu, which is also known as breadfruit, is a traditional Hawaiian food staple, and it grows plentifully throughout the islands. When it's not yet ripe, the yellowish-green, sap-covered fruit has a starchy interior that’s similar to a potato. Once it ripens, the flavor grows sweeter, and the flesh takes the consistency of dough or custard with a green banana flavor. Breadfruit is high in carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and other nutrients, and there’s a wide range of ways to prepare this healthy fruit, whether it’s ripe or unripe.

Traditional Ways of Preparing Ulu

The simplest way to prepare breadfruit is to roast it over a fire, then peel it and eat it. It can also be baked in an imu, which is an underground oven, and eaten in the same way. Traditionally, this fruit was also used to make a dish similar to poi, 'ulu pa'i ai. To make this dish, the unripened fruit is peeled, steamed, or boiled and then pounded. When the fruit was ripe, many islanders scooped it out and ate it raw.

Modern Hawaiian Food Options

Since unripe breadfruit is similar to a creamy potato, you can prepare it in a similar fashion, like frying, boiling, and baking. Peel the fruit and remove the core to create hash browns, fries, or imitation mashed potatoes. You can also enjoy this fruit as fried ulu chips, then dip them into an ulu-based hummus. When ripe, the doughy breadfruit flesh goes well in almost any dough or batter, so you can use it in cake, cookie, pancake, waffle, and bread recipes.

If you want to taste this delicious Hawaiian food in a variety of modern forms, look for Ulu Mana chips or hummus at your local grocery store. Based in Honolulu, HI, this vendor uses locally grown ingredients to create their sustainable, healthy, vegan dishes. View their products online, or call (808) 987-1284 to place an order.