A single breadfruit tree can produce up to 200 fruits every year, for up to 50 years. That means one tree can feed a whole family for decades with almost no work needed - no planting every season, no ploughing, just harvesting when the fruit is ready. Pacific islanders call it a 'generous tree' because of how much it gives.
In Micronesia, breadfruit is often cooked in banana leaves. The fruit is wrapped tightly in big green leaves and placed over hot coals or into an earth oven. The leaves trap the steam inside, and the fruit slowly cooks until it is soft and slightly sweet. This method of cooking has been used for thousands of years.
Breadfruit can also be preserved. On some Micronesian islands, people bury ripe breadfruit in pits lined with leaves. Left to ferment for weeks or months, it turns into a sour, dough-like paste called 'ma' that keeps for years. This was especially important for long ocean voyages, when fresh food ran out.
Breadfruit arrived in the Caribbean and other tropical parts of the world when Pacific peoples and later European explorers carried the trees with them. Today it is grown across the tropics. Chefs around the world are rediscovering it as a healthy, filling food that grows with very little care.