When exploring the islands of Tahiti with Captain James Cook, botanist Sir Joseph Banks identified a carbohydrate-rich tropical fruit that, when cooked over an open fire, tasted like freshly-baked bread. Banks recommended that King George III adopt this energy-rich breadfruit as a food staple for the English plantations of the Caribbean.

During a subsequent voyage to transport breadfruit trees from Tahiti to the Caribbean, Captain William Bligh lost his ship, the Bounty, to mutineers, who tossed the precious breadfruit trees over the side, along with Captain Bligh, and then they disappeared into the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Today, breadfruit is getting a fresh look by the culinary world as a gluten-free, high-fiber, and environmentally-friendly alternative to refined flours.  In fact, researchers at the University of British Columbia claim breadfruit is poised to become the next global superfood. 

239 years later, Marisol Villalobos is completing the mission by bringing the world bread from that breadfruit.  Marisol, a former chemistry professor and her team have combined their efforts to continue the mission of bringing tropical breadfruit to the world via their Amasar line of breadfruit baking mixes.  Their efforts lead us to ask:

Leave a comment below: Are we ready for bread made from breadfruit?

Tune in here, for the syndicated Michael Olson Food Chain Radio Show #1421 July 11, 2026 Saturday 9AM Pacific