'Ulu (breadfruit) is one of my favorite foods. It is a big beautiful ball of starch that can be eaten green (like a potato), half-ripe (more like a sweet potato), or super ripe and on the verge of spoiled (sweet and sticky). It's easy to cook - I just bake it whole on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F until I can stick a skewer through it easily, about an hour - and then cut it up and peel it.

At that point you can use it in a variety of ways. The National Tropical Botanical Garden has lot of recipes, and I haven't tried any of them because my favorite way to eat breadfruit is fried in either coconut oil or dairy butter. Green or half-ripe breadfruit work the best for this, as it holds together well in slices. I slice the baked 'ulu about 1/4" thick and heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a pan and fry on both sides until browned, then sprinkle with salt and eat while it's still hot.

For more information about 'ulu and its traditional uses, try Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai'i.