A large and unusual tropical fruit is becoming more popular in the United States. The jackfruit is native to India. The big, spiky fruit grows in parts of Asia, South America and the Caribbean. It can weigh from 6 to around 30 kilograms. Often used as a meat substitute, jackfruit has a lot of vitamins and minerals. Its neutral flavor works with all kinds of seasonings. Now, with many Americans looking for plant-based alternatives to meat, jackfruit is becoming more popular. This popularity has been growing for several years, noted Robert Schueller. He is head of marketing at Melissa’s Produce, a specialty produce company based in Los Angeles, California. “It was about five years ago that the fruit started to really take off,’’ he told reporters from the Associated Press. “Vegetarians and vegans found out how this fruit could be used as a ‘meat substitute’ for pulled pork sandwiches and as a taco meat.” Schueller said Melissa’s sales have increased sharply. The company went from selling a few containers of jackfruit each week to thousands of cases weekly. In many places around the country, jackfruit is appearing not only at vegan and vegetarian restaurants, but other places as well.