Mangaluru: The city is witnessing rising interest in premium Thai varieties of jackfruit, prized for their high yield, early bearing and intensely sweet flavour. At a festival organised at Chiguru Nursery, Kulur on Sunday, visitors were given a unique opportunity to taste different varieties of jackfruit before choosing saplings for purchase.Sarvesh Rao, owner of the nursery and founder of Team Mangalore, said the aim was to introduce the people of the city to Thai jackfruit varieties.Among the highlights were Phet Damrong, a Thai variety known for its exceptionally sweet taste, rich flavour, vibrant golden-yellow flesh and large, thick, low-latex arils, and Thong Prasert, often called Golden Excellence, valued for its bright golden flesh, sweet taste and crunchy yet soft, non-watery texture. Other varieties showcased included the Singapore variety, Mangala Early, Phet Racha (a popular Thai variety) and J29, a Malaysian jackfruit variety, he said. Rao explained that he sourced the grafts during a visit to Thailand for a kite festival in 2018-19 and later propagated them at his nursery. “The idea is to familiarise people in Mangaluru with these superior varieties. The Phet Damrong trees began yielding last year, and this season I harvested around 25 fruits, which I preserved for the tasting event. There are about three fruits left on the tree at present,” he said.The trees are compact, growing up to about 12-16 feet, and begin fruiting within a year of planting, making them ideal for urban households with limited space. With most jackfruit festivals typically held after mid-May, Rao said he chose to host the event earlier so that visitors could experience the fruit during its peak season of this variety and also help understand the different varieties that are available and can be grown under the prevailing climate conditions.
