‘What on earth is a jackfruit?': how one stuck-in-his-ways dad got out of a foodie rut

As I sit at the dinner table with my kids, I reminisce about the time I was in a French restaurant in the early noughties. I remember looking at the menu and without hesitation ordering steak. Horse steak.

I was a daredevil in my 20s and my palate was a force to be reckoned with. My gut was gutsy; I didn’t think twice about ordering the most adventurous (or in some people’s minds, obnoxious) thing on the menu. “I’m having snails to start and horse for main. Where’s the frog legs?” My dining out motto was: you have to try things at least once.

I’m not sure what happened in my early 30s, but all of a sudden the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone and entering uncharted territories filled me with a deeply unpleasant emotion. I became that person who orders the same dish at every restaurant (burger and chips), always drinks the same alcoholic beverage (beer), and only ever listens to one genre of music (indie) – no compromise. I was officially stuck in my ways.

Now in my 40s, I’m married with three kids who my wife and I have spent 10 years raising to be inquisitive people and adventurous eaters. Against this backdrop of intrepid enthusiasm, my extremely dull peculiarity seems pathetic. How can I encourage my children to become open-minded adults if I continue to morph ever deeper into the role of “uncompromising dad”?

Back at the dinner table, I’ve decided that strength in numbers is the way forward, so I recruit my wife and two eldest kids to join me in a foodie experiment (the smallest gets a pass – he’s still experiencing daily “firsts” as it is).

So, what culinary first should we try? A cruffin (the delectable-sounding love child of a croissant and muffin)? A wacky flavour of imported crisps from the corner shop? No, of course not – that would be too easy, and almost definitely delicious. Instead, my girls have decided they’d like to try jackfruit after hearing about it in a school assembly about living a more eco-friendly life.

Jackfruit? What on earth is jackfruit and where do I buy it? After carrying out some thorough research (used extensively in south and south-east Asian cooking for main meals and desserts – love Wikipedia), the fear set in. It’s going to be horrible. Why would anyone eat a fruit from the fig family for dinner? What’s wrong with chicken nuggets and chips for tea? This culinary first is going to be a disgusting disaster.

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Despite my initial reservations (read: deep unease), it turns out jackfruit is pretty easy to find these days, and even easier to cook. Following the instructions on the back of the tin (small steps, people), I serve “pulled” jackfruit in tacos with all the trimmings and watch in anticipation of the “delight” or “disgust” faces from my girls. As they dig in, I brace myself for my first bite, anxiously reminding myself that the horse steak was actually wonderful. The snails were pretty tasty too.

The thrill of tasting something new for the first time in years was only bettered by the magic of seeing my children eagerly devour their experimental dinner. It reminded me of all those foodie “firsts” I watched them experience as babies – it was awesome to witness it again, and the sense of parental relief was exhilarating. One day, my kids will remember the first time they tried jackfruit, and hopefully it will spark the memory of trying it with me.

With dinner proving a huge success, we’ve decided we’re going to try a new vegan dish every month. Next up, seitan burgers (small steps, people).

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