Interactions between People and Breadfruit in Hawai’i: Consumption, Preparation, and Sourcing Patterns

Traditional crops are often forwarded as a critical means for increasing local food, yet little is understood about their consumption patterns in contemporary food systems. This study utilizes a survey to examine the consumption patterns, preparation methods, sources utilized, and awareness of health benefits of breadfruit ( Artocarpus altilis ) in Hawai’i. Results indicated that an average of 13.7 servings of breadfruit per year are eaten by an individual; however, the distribution of consumption follows an exponential curve and 57% of participants only eat it three times per year or less. Approximately one-quarter (22%) of a breadfruit is eaten in one sitting on average, which equates to approximately 71 dry grams. Awareness of health benefits correlated to increased consumption, as did knowledge or preparation methods. While a range of sources were utilized, 71% of people source their fruit from a backyard tree, while only 5% ever obtained fruit from a retail store. Such information is useful in determining the consumptive impacts of intervention programs, such as tree giveaways and consumer education, and to understand how to best facilitate the increased consumption of underutilized crops.