As you know, I’m Greek and very proud of my Greek roots. I love anything wrapped between pita with a dollop of tzatziki. This jackfruit gyros recipe is one of my fav Greek recipes that is perfectly suitable for a vegan or plant-based diet but will also impress the meat-eaters in your house too.
Hey Maria, what’s jackfruit?
Jackfruit grows on a tree which is the same family as fig and mulberry trees. The jackfruit tree is native to India but also have started growing all over the world. The “meat” of a ripe, raw jackfruit has a similar taste to mango, pineapple, and banana. Unripe jackfruit has a neutral flavour of a potato, making it great for soaking up flavours in a savoury dish. This fruit is super versatile and loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and fibre. Some of the benefits these magical fruit offers are:
Improves immunity with its high amount of vitamin C and antioxidants Replenishes energy because it’s loaded with good carbs Ensures better cardio health and regulated blood pressure with its potassium levels Improves digestion since it’s rich in both soluble and insoluble fibres Helps prevent disease with its antioxidants, phytonutrients, and flavonoids Enhances vision because it’s rich in vitamin A Strengthens bones because it has high amounts of calcium Contains a good amount of iron, which all of us on a vegan diet need
Fresh jackfruit is always best to use; however, they can be a pain in the ass to find and chop up. So you can buy it in grocery stores in different forms that make it easier and takes out all the work! For this recipe, I used The Jackfruit Co.’s jackfruit. Keep reading for more on them!
The Jackfruit Co.
The Jackfruit Co. was started in 2011 when the founder, Annie Ryu, travelled to India as a pre-med student and spotted her first jackfruit at a street stall. Intrigued, since she had never heard or seen this fruit before, she quickly learned all the magical uses this fruit had in South and Southeast Asian dishes. What Annie quickly learned was that despite jackfruit being nutritional, the majority of it was going to waste in India. Which was odd, considering the jackfruit tree is very adaptable, resistant to climate, and easy to grow. This presented a huge opportunity within a third world country, and an opportunity to make jackfruit more globally available. Today, The Jackfruit Co. works with over 1000 farming families to supply jackfruit to over 6000 retailers. Their vegan products range from:
Ready-to-eat complete meals like their Chickpeas, Spinach Garam Masala Smoked jackfruit “meat” that can easily be tossed on a pizza, salad, or taco Seasoned jackfruit meal starters like their Lemon Garlic Jackfruit Meal Starter
For this jackfruit gyros plant-based recipe, I used their Lightly Seasoned Jackfruit. I’ve also used their products in this yummy BBQ Jackfruit Burger Recipe. With these gyros, feel free to top them with your fav toppings and really make them your own. I love making pickled onions, vegan tzatziki, and throwing in my fav olives, and more. Have fun with it and get creative! P.S. You can check out some of my fav vegan Greek recipes below.
Greek Platted Drizzled in Olive Oil Plant-Based Greek Moussaka Greek Potatoes
