Food Review: Upton's Naturals Chili Lime Carnitas Jackfruit

Upton's new Chili Lime Carnitas Jackfruit served up in tacos, perfectly 

paired with Califia Farms' Vanilla Coconut Horchata!

I have been waiting for Upton's Naturals to release their new jackfruit products since I had the opportunity to try them at Expo West (they were number 3 on my top 10 products from the expo!). I was so happy when I found the Chili Lime Carnitas Jackfruit at Whole Foods!

Jackfruit, in case you are wondering, is a versatile plant most often used in Indian and Asian cuisine as well in other parts of the world. Ripe jackfruit has a fruity, sweet flavor, but unripe jackfruit, like what Upton's uses, is often used as a vegetarian meat substitute, since it mimics the look and texture of meat as well as easily soaking up seasonings/flavorings.

Jackfruit grows on trees, and they can be HUGE (up to 80 lbs.!) and are covered with spikes (yep, they kinda look like fruity maces). I got to hold a jackfruit baby at Expo West and it was so huge and heavy!

Tacos with Upton's Chili Lime Carnitas Jackfruit

Anywho, out of this interesting fruit we get the United States' first ever prepared jackfruit - carnitas from Upton's! The carnitas resemble the shredded beef that you see in sandwiches, burgers, tortas, tacos, but Upton's carnitas are totally cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and good-for-you!

Of course I made tacos with the Chili Lime Carnitas! They were very easy to cook - I just threw them in my cast iron pan and heated them up. They had a very strong aroma of lime when I first opened the package, but this diminished a bit as I cooked them. I placed the carnitas on warmed tortillas, then topped them with some cabbage, diced tomatoes, and spicy chipotle crema. The tacos were so delectable! They were the perfect mild flavor (if you wanted to make them spicier, you could drizzle them with your favorite hot sauce) and the texture was really good!

Upton's also makes a BBQ carnitas, and I'm eager to find that one and make sliders!

Have you tried the new Upton's jackfruit products, and, if so, what did you think?

You can find more info on this product, along with other Upton's Naturals' products on their website!