Jackfruit and cempedak, a fruit identity crisis

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I READ with great interest the article “Jackfruit finds its way to China” (Sunday Star, Sept 10, 2023) and recalled reading “Championing local jackfruit” (The Star, Nov 12, 2021).

While these articles offer valuable insights into the growing international demand for jackfruit, they also inadvertently highlight an issue of language that affects our understanding and promotion of local fruits – specifically the confusion caused by the term “jackfruit”, which is often used to describe both “nangka” (Artocarpus heterophyllus) and “cempedak” (Artocarpus integer).