Lakoocha
Artocarpus lacucha · Moraceae · also known as Monkey jack, Monkey fruit, Barhar, Mad, Lakoocha
A knobbly jackfruit relative from South and Southeast Asia with irregular, velvety golden fruit whose sweet-sour pulp is eaten fresh, in chutneys, and cooked green as a vegetable. The tree's heartwood is also a traditional dewormer.
At a glance
- Taste
- Sweet-sour and juicy when ripe, with soft golden segments and a slightly acidic, aromatic tang; green fruit is starchy and cooked like young jackfruit.
- Origin
- South and Southeast Asia
- Grown in
- India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal
- Peak season
- Summer
Sensory & practical profile
Taste fingerprint
- Sweetness
- Tartness
- Aroma
- Juiciness
- Firmness
Approximate, at peak ripeness · 0–5
- Ripe when
- Skin turns yellow-orange, the velvety surface softens, and the aroma turns sweet-sour; green fruit stays firm for cooking.
- How to eat
- Eat the ripe golden pulp fresh or in chutney, and curry the green fruit as a vegetable the way you would young jackfruit.
- Typical price
- Budget
The lakoocha tree leads a double life — its fruit is a sweet-sour village treat, while its powdered heartwood (puag-haad) is one of the oldest traditional dewormers in Thai and Ayurvedic medicine.
When it's in season, by region
| Region | Peak months |
|---|---|
| South Asia | Apr–Jul across the subcontinent |
How to select & store
Picking a ripe one
Choose fruit that has turned yellow-orange and yields to gentle pressure with a sweet-sour aroma; the surface is irregular and velvety. Green fruit is for cooking as a vegetable.
Storing it
A few days at room temperature once ripe — soft and perishable. Green fruit keeps longer and is cooked promptly; ripe pulp is made into chutney and preserves.
Practical uses
🍽️ Culinary
- Ripe pulp eaten fresh or made into tangy chutneys and pickles
- Green fruit curried and cooked as a vegetable, like young jackfruit
- Juices and preserves
- Dried and used as a souring agent in some regions
🌿 Health & traditional
- The heartwood (puag-haad) is a well-known traditional dewormer in Thai and Ayurvedic medicine
- Bark and fruit used for skin and digestive complaints
🎎 Cultural
- A common village and forest tree across the subcontinent, its fruit a rustic seasonal treat
- Called monkey jack because monkeys relish the fruit as much as people do
Eating lakoocha: what to know
What regular consumption looks like
Lakoocha is mostly water with natural sugars, a little fibre, and assorted micronutrients — a hydrating everyday addition to your overall fruit intake rather than a standout for any one nutrient.
Sensible amounts
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
Evidence & conditions
As a whole fruit, Lakoocha contributes fibre, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds, but it has not been shown to treat or prevent any specific condition — so it is best enjoyed as part of a healthy diet rather than as a remedy.
Lakoocha: frequently asked questions
What does lakoocha taste like?
Sweet-sour and juicy when ripe, with soft golden segments and a slightly acidic, aromatic tang; green fruit is starchy and cooked like young jackfruit.
When is lakoocha in season?
Lakoocha is typically in season South Asia (Apr–Jul across the subcontinent). Peak months shift between the northern and southern hemispheres.
How do you eat lakoocha?
Eat the ripe golden pulp fresh or in chutney, and curry the green fruit as a vegetable the way you would young jackfruit.
How do you know when lakoocha is ripe?
Skin turns yellow-orange, the velvety surface softens, and the aroma turns sweet-sour; green fruit stays firm for cooking.
Is lakoocha good for you?
Lakoocha is mostly water with natural sugars, a little fibre, and assorted micronutrients — a hydrating everyday addition to your overall fruit intake rather than a standout for any one nutrient.
How much lakoocha should you eat?
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
The lakoocha, or monkey jack, is the jackfruit family’s rustic cousin — a knobbly, velvety golden fruit from the villages and forests of South and Southeast Asia, sweet-sour and juicy, and named for the monkeys that relish it as much as people do.
Two fruits, one tree
Like its giant relative the jackfruit, lakoocha is eaten at two stages. Ripe, its soft golden segments are sweet-sour and aromatic, eaten fresh or turned into tangy chutneys and pickles. Green, it’s starchy and cooked as a vegetable, curried much like young jackfruit. Beyond the kitchen, the tree carries a notable medicinal reputation: its powdered heartwood (puag-haad) is one of the oldest traditional dewormers in Thai and Ayurvedic practice. A common dooryard and forest tree that rarely reaches formal markets, lakoocha is a seasonal treat known mostly to those who live near the trees — a tangy, humble member of the remarkable Artocarpus clan alongside marang and cempedak.
