Imagine a tropical fruit the size of a Dalmatian. Now imagine it covered in spikes, like the medieval weaponry on "Game of Thrones." It's jackfruit, and beneath its spiny exterior lies a mild-flavored, nutrient-dense -- and large -- plant-based meat substitute. It's native to Asia and India and Upton's Naturals is the first American company to make jackfruit available nationally.
It's a bold choice, but bold is standard operating procedure at Upton's. Soft-spoken CEO Daniel Stackmann started the company in 2006 without a business or food service background or a slew of investors. All he had was vegan faith, a self-reliance that comes from being an only child and a recipe for seitan.
Staackmann grew up "a suburban fat kid who ate nothing but pepperoni pizza and cookies and ice cream." He transitioned to vegan at 15 but still craved the chew and big spicy, smoky flavors he'd loved as a kid. "Seitan was my [vegan] gateway," he says. "It was always one of my favorite foods and no one was making it locally."
Since then, the small Chicago-based company has launched half a dozen seitan products from barbecue-flavored to bacon. New chili-lime and barbecue jackfruit add to Upton's Naturals products designed to appeal to people like Staackmann, people seeking comfort food without cruelty.
"We have dishes people can relate to," he says. "We've taken familiar flavors people have grown up with and pair them with seitan and jackfruit. That makes it easy for people to swallow."
Chicago locals can find out just how easy during business hours at Upton's on-site cafe. It's open to the public and serves up vegan comfort food. "We wanted a space that would allow us to interact more directly with our customers and the neighborhood, allow us to test new products there," says Staackmann. "It's kind of like a focus group, seven days a week,"
The cafe helps grow their client base, "and it helps with activism," he says. "The people who come in from our neighborhood maybe never had vegan food. They're able to try new foods and see vegan food isn't scary. It's a nice way to share veganism with the whole neighborhood. I like having that personal connection."
He and Nicole Sopko, Upton's vice president (and Staackmann's romantic partner) maintain that connection whether it's with folks in the neighborhood or as far away as Thailand. Finding partners who believed in the product "took me getting on a plane and meeting people in person. We went to the farm in Thailand and saw them growing it." Now it's where Upton's jackfruit is grown, minimally processed, seasoned, slow-cooked and packed.
A whole jackfruit may look intimidating, but on the other hand, "There's no part of a cow you slice off and it tastes like Italian sausage. It's spices, how it's seasoned and flavored," says Staackmann. "It's great to have jackfruit that's pre-seasoned and ready to eat. If we're able to put out products that help get people off animal products, then we're succeeding. Doing what we believe in is the best part of the business for us."
Mojo Jackfruit
Pronounced mo-ho, mojo is a traditional Cuban marinade made with cumin, onion, oregano and orange that makes meat -- or jackfruit -- tart, sweet tender and mellow at once. When pronounced like it looks, mojo is also a term for magic, for spellcasting. This recipe aims for a little of both. Stuff whole wheat tortillas or serve over brown rice. Splash with your favorite hot sauce.Serves 4.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 package Upton's jackfruit chili lime carnitas
1 orange, juiced and zested
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 teaspoon allspice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 nice handful kale leaves, chopped into ribbons
1 handful cilantro, coarsely choppedHeat olive oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat. Add chopped onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until onion starts to turn translucent. Add minced garlic and jalapeno and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until vegetables are softened and fragrant.
Add jackfruit, bay leaf, cumin, oregano and allspice. orange zest and juice, Stir gently to combine. Continue stirring occasionally and let heat through.
Fish out the bay leaf. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add chopped kale, stirring gently, so the greens just start to wilt but keep their color.
Scatter the chopped cilantro just before serving.