Seeds, breadfruit seeds, boiled

Breadfruit seeds, sometimes called breadnuts, are boiled until tender and eaten in a way similar to chestnuts, with a starchy, slightly sweet flavor and dense, cooked-nut texture once the shell is removed. They are common in Caribbean, West African, and Pacific Islander cooking, shelled after boiling and eaten warm as a snack with a little salt, added whole to soups and stews for body, or mashed alongside other starches like yam or plantain; boiling also softens the tough outer shell considerably, making the seeds much easier to peel by hand than in their raw state.

Fresh breadfruit seeds should feel firm with no soft or blemished spots before cooking, and once boiled they should be refrigerated and used within a few days, much like other cooked starchy nuts and seeds that do not keep well at room temperature. At 168 calories and 4.8g fiber per 100g, boiled breadfruit seeds work well as a starchy side dish or snack in their own right, contributing about 19% of the Daily Value for potassium per 100g, and they make a filling addition to a plate alongside more familiar seeds and nuts, offering a similar heft to boiled chestnuts at a broadly comparable calorie level per serving.