Boiled Breadfruit is definitely one of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes. One summer as a child, I traveled to Puerto Rico to visit my family with my mother. It was time to see my grandmother, Sabina, and we had to walk up a mountain to get to her house. I enjoyed the beautiful walk on a dirt road, admiring the animals and the trees full of avocados, mangos and breadfruits along the path to her house. When we arrived, I hugged my grandmother and she had the most beautiful long hair.
Tasting a Boiled Breadfruit for the First Time!
Grandma Sabina had a huge “caldero” full of boiled breadfruit wedges. Her kitchen was separated from the main house. Grandma placed the boiled breadfruit wedges in a bowl with sliced onions drizzled in olive oil. Sliced avocados were served on a separate plate. To this day, I distinctly remember the wonderful experience of tasting this starchy fruit for the first time. It had a tender starchy texture with a sweet flavor. Even though the breadfruit is a fruit, it is; however, served like a potato due to its high starch content. Boiling the breadfruit is the most common cooking method but it can also be fried, steamed, baked and roasted.
I moved to Puerto Rico as a teenager. Every three months, I would visit my uncles in the “Barrio de Candelero” in Humacao, Puerto Rico. When it was time to return home (City of Humacao), my uncle would give me a bag full of breadfruits, mangos and avocados. As of today, I can still eat breadfruit everyday.
Introducing My Favorite Starchy Fruit – The Breadfruit!
The official Spanish term for Breadfruit is Panapén. However, we tend to use the shorter version – Panas – when referring to the breadfruit. The breadfruit is usually oval in shape and 6 to 8 inches long. The skin color is light green with an irregular polygon pattern. However, when the fruit ripens, it will have some red brown areas. The flesh is a creamy yellow and starchy. It has a unique aromatic fragrance. The breadfruit originated in the South Pacific and was introduced to the Caribbean islands by the British colonies in the late 18th century. It is also cultivated in Central and South America.
Cutting the Breadfruit into Wedges!
Cut the breadfruit in half lengthwise.
Cut each half lengthwise into four equal wedges.
Peeling the Breadfruit Wedges!
Remove approximately ½ inch to 1 inch of flesh from the top of each wedge.
Peel each wedge by inserting a knife between skin and flesh.
Rinse the 8 breadfruit wedges in a colander if you so desire.
Boiling the Breadfruit Wedges – Boiled Breadfruit!
Pour 6 cups of water into a 2.5 quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add 1 tablespoon of lite salt or to taste to the boiling water. Stir well to mix.
Carefully add the breadfruit wedges to the boiling salted water. Reduce heat to medium high and cover with lid. Cook for 30 minutes or until breadfruit wedges are fork tender.
After 30 minutes of cooking, the boiled breadfruit wedges are fork tender.
Carefully remove the boiled breadfruit wedges from saucepan. Serve in a bowl or individual plates.
Serving the Boiled Breadfruit Wedges!
Enjoy your boiled breadfruit accompanied with a slice of avocado, Salt Cod Salad or Stewed Salt Cod. Drizzle the boiled breadfruit wedges with olive oil if you so desire.
Click on the button below to watch my YouTube video on How to Boil Breadfruit!
Recipe and Nutritional Facts
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.
Print
Boiled Breadfruit
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
A tropical fruit with a starchy and sweet tender flavor that is served like a potato.
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 ripe breadfruit, cut into 8 wedges
- 1 tablespoon salt (low sodium) or to taste
Instructions
- Remove ½ inch to 1 inch of flesh from the top of each wedge.
- Peel each wedge by inserting a knife between the flesh and the skin.
- Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add the salt and stir well to mix.
- Cover saucepan with lid and cook for 30 minutes over medium high heat or until breadfruit wedges are fork tender.
- Carefully remove from saucepan and place in a bowl or plate.
- Category: Lunch and Dinner
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Keywords: Boiled Breadfruit, Panas Hervidas, Panas
6 Comments. Leave new
Dear Aida,
Greetings from Malaysia. Thanks for your tips. Have a great week ahead.
Hi Max, You are welcome! Have a beautiful week in Malaysia as well!
My husband uses a paper towel, rolled on a fork, to suck up bubbles (which is the sticky sap) while it is cooking. Try it!
Hola Gwen, Thank you so much for your great idea on how to absorb the sticky sap from the panas’ boiling water. I love panas but don’t care to clean the saucepan due to the sticky sap that adheres to the lids and pots. Will definitely try it. Enjoy your week.
Hello Aida. I have a house in Puerto Rico with a breadfruit tree and I better learn how to prepare them! I like them boiled fine, but the pot is hard to clean. Maybe I did not cut deep enough when I removed the skin. Maybe I should have waited to add them until the water was boiling already. But I also read that some cut the stem off and leave the breadfruit upside down for a while (maybe a day) to drain latex sap. Do you have advice on this?
★★★★
Hi Cade, The breadfruit is very starchy and will always leave a film inside your pot and lid. My cooking vessels are stainless steel so I am able to remove the starchy film without any problems. The problem is not the technique of cooking or preparing of the breadfruit. When boiling or steaming the breadfruit, it will always release the starch content and stick to the cooking vessel. If you notice, I completely peel, cut and rinse the breadfruit. I would recommend to purchase a cooking vessel that can be scrubbed with a scouring pad to remove the starchy film.