Palmerston North resident Meriam Findlay’s favourite jackfruit laden with tragic memories

Meriam Findlay initially found food in New Zealand bland but says most international fruit and vegetables are now available. Photo / Sonya Holm

Flavours from the Philippines are a big part of Meriam Findlay’s life, but it’s jackfruit that brings back the memory of murder.

Jackfruit is known in Findlay’s home country of the Philippines as the “meat extender” for its capacity to soak up flavour and bulk up meat dishes.

It’s a versatile fruit consumed in different dishes throughout its lifecycle – ripe jackfruit can even be used in desserts – yet it’s not the flavour but the memory of place, time and life-changing events that looms largest for Findlay.

“I had the taste of jackfruit all the time when my father died and my grandfather used to cook for us … my father was murdered when I was 14.″

Her parents ran a business roasting and grinding coffee; however, their success upset others and Findlay’s father was murdered by an envious neighbour.

Findlay’s mother was pregnant at the time and her grandparents came to help.

“That’s how I remember jackfruit,” Findlay says.

When we caught up, Findlay had made a young jackfruit, coconut and prawn dish.

We met in a cafe, so I exercised restraint not to guzzle the gift immediately.

Once it was devoured, I discovered jackfruit the texture of pulled pork and as soft as the rice and beautifully buttery prawns, all infused with the nutty creamy flavour of coconut milk.

Because jackfruit absorbs flavours and bulks up other dishes, it’s a chop-it-up and throw-it-in type of ingredient, Findlay says, with spices added to taste.

“Put ginger, garlic and onion and then coconut cream and add whatever meat is available. To put a little bit of spice in our bite, I put one green chilli.”

A qualified nutritionist, Findlay ran a small eatery with her mother and brother and taught hotel and restaurant management before she moved to New Zealand in the late 1980s.

She is married to Lew Findlay, a Palmerston North city councillor for 22 years.

The Findlays met through family connections. “Lew saw my photo in the wedding album [as the bridesmaid], and he said ‘oh what’s her name? She’ll be my wife one day’.”

In Palmerston North, she has run cooking classes and was the president of the Manawatū Multicultural Council twice. During her tenure, she introduced regular potluck dinners to promote networking with new migrants and locals.

She has spent almost 30 years with Palmerston North Street Van, which offers free food over the weekends.

She describes her cooking style as fusion, mentioning a preference for banana sauce over tomato, but adds she is still the only one out of her husband and three grownup children who eats jackfruit.

More food from the Philippines is available now, including from Rainbow Mart in Palmerston North. The country's flag is proudly displayed in the Tremaine Ave shop. Photo / Sonya Holm

Findlay initially found food in New Zealand bland but says most international fruit and vegetables are now available, unlike when she first arrived.

On whether her Kiwi-born husband has had to change his tastes over the years - “he’s very particular, but he’s adjusting”, she says.

Sonya Holm is a freelance journalist based in Palmerston North.