Breadfruit – From staple food to superfood

A BREADFRUIT exhibition which seeks to show the importance of the breadfruit in Vincentian society is taking place at the Curator’s House at the Botanic Gardens.

The exhibition, dubbed “Breadfruit: From food staple to superfood” is an initiative of the St Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust, funded through the Yanagil Education and Development Fund.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition on Wednesday, Louise Mitchell, trustee of the SVG National Trust and director of the Yanagil Education and Development Fund, said the exhibition is the brainchild of Director of Culture Anthony Theobalds.

The exhibition, which is phase one of three phases, was developed by Marc Edrich on behalf of the SVG National Trust.

“There are a lot more Vincentian stories so he (Edrich) will interview persons to find out how breadfruit played a role in the social life of persons and we will be portraying breadfruit through the eyes of Vincentians in the next phase,” revealed Mitchell.

Mitchell noted also that the exhibition would not have been possible without the Yanagil Education and Development Fund, a fund set up by Vincentian-Canadians Gilbert and Iyana Weekes to support educational initiatives.

Delivering the feature address at the opening, former Minister of Culture Rene Baptiste opined that the exhibition represents a renewal and revitalization, “of hearing so much about the breadfruit”.

She shared that during World War II, there was a shortage of wheat flour which forced residents of St Vincent to substitute with breadfruit flour.

The breadfruit was brought to St Vincent in 1793 by Captain William Bligh of the HMS Bounty after a mutiny.

Baptiste said that the breadfruit was propagated at the Botanic Gardens and distributed as a staple food for the enslaved people, but they did not like it.

“The existing tree is said to be a sucker from one of those other suckers,” noted Baptiste who added that there are many species of breadfruit.

Some of the species include ‘White’ found in Vermont; ‘Creole’ found in Belmont; ‘Creole Ready Roast’ in Sandy Bay and Fancy; ‘Butter Heart’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Marble’ found in Queensbury; ‘Coco Bread’, ‘Cashew’, ‘Sally Young’ and ‘Creole Common’ found in Evesham; ‘Hog Pen’, ‘Creole White’, ‘Creole Black’, ‘Floater White’, ‘England’, ‘Captain Bligh’ found in South Rivers; ‘Liberal’, ‘Water Lou’, ‘Lou Lou’, ‘Masa’, ‘Sour Sop’, ‘Lawyer Cain’ and ‘Old Wind’ in Largo Height.

“The breadfruit is said to be one of the highest yielding food plants and flourishes in both dry season and rainy season,” noted Baptiste who added that certain species are better for certain things, like for example some are better for cooking and some for roasting.

Also addressing the opening, Chairperson of the SVG National Trust Decima Alexander-Hamilton said over the years the breadfruit was relegated but in recent times we have been able to resurrect the image of the plant and recognize “all of its economic values to us as a people”.

The exhibition, which is curated by Edrich, speaks about the use of the breadfruit, its origins and historical significance, among other things.

Opening hours of the exhibition are December 20 to December 24, 3 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. and from December 27 onwards, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.