Kamansi / Seeded Breadfruit
Kamansi or Seeded Breadfruit 
(Artocarpus camansi) is very closely related to but not the same as Rimas or Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis). I didn’t know that so maybe some of you didn’t either. Kamansi has sharper points on its skin, more like a jackfruit (another close relative) while Rimas has a flatter outer skin. Kamansi has soft seeds and Rimas has no seeds. I spied these unusual little Kamansi from an organic vegetable seller that I frequent and decided they looked too interesting to pass up. I brought home three small Kamansi and hoped that the cook had heard of these before… she had, good Boholana that she is, Kamansi and Rimas grew in abundance in her native Bohol. Kamansi are believed to be native to Papua New Guinea and possibly Indonesia and the Philippines.
When I was still a single digit (years, not fingers) kid 
I used to go with my mom to her ancestral home in the boonies of Bohol (4+ hours in a jeep to get there from Tagbilaran on a dusty coastal road but on a map it is just 80 kilometers!) and once ensconced there, we had to visit all of our relatives who then proceeded to whip out their finest snack of fried breadfruit locally called Kolo (not Rimas) with latik (a sugary sweet dip). As yummy as that was, having it 7 times in a row as we progressed down the main street at a languid late afternoon pace was enough to make me want to scream at the top of my lungs that breadfruit in fact gave me seizures that resulted in lesions that were contagious and unsightly… Then the next day we would have to do the other side of the street! Needless to say, I never ate breadfruit again for another 20 or so years…
Back at home, the cook peeled the skin of the small Kamansi 
(which she felt were picked too young by the way) to expose the whitish pulp and seeds. Boiled in a little water to cook the pulp, she added coconut milk, onions and ginger. Served as a vegetable, it was a bit like unripe jackfruit but softer and mushier. I didn’t particularly like it but it wasn’t bad. Maybe I just haven’t gotten over my breadfruit phobia just yet. At PHP50 for 3 pieces, this makes a very economical “vegetable” dish out of the Kamansi fruit. Sources: Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables by Elizabeth Schneider; Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson.
Market Man, ginagamit nang lola ko noon ang rimas sa denengding na may halong tinono na tulingan na isda,sarap lalo na pag makati ang katawan dahil sa nalaes na tulingan. he he he
May 12th, 2005Just a question,
Is this the same fruit used for the viand ginataang langka? Because I remember back in my home province my mom cooking ginataang kamansi (with dried dilis as sahog, and then living here in the Metro, buying this in the carinderia, hearing it being called ginataang langka. Same texture, same taste. I just got used to calling it ginataang langka, being here in the Metro for quite some time.
May 12th, 2005Rey, hindi pa ako nakatikim ng dinengdeng, subukan ko nga… Baldwin, langka with gata is similar in texture and taste, but I understand made with unripe langka (jackfruit). Same concept, but different base ingredient.
May 13th, 2005Thanks for the info! I’ve been quite a follower for some time (since you came out of Inquirer). I totally appreciate your way of giving a very global perspective on our local food. Congratulations and keep it up!
May 13th, 2005Our family usually substitutes kamansi to langka because it’s cheaper. And yes, Rimas and Kamansi are two different things. If you are familiar with pinasugbo, which they make with saging na saba, you might not know that the older people in Cebu made it with Rimas. I could imagine because Rimas has no seeds. My mom says it’s better than the saba version.
May 13th, 2005can I borrow the cook when I come for visit? Well this how exactly we at Cebu prepared this.. and while writing this to you many great memories of my childhood is flooding my brain and emotions. I didnt even remember the name until now.Thank you
May 14th, 2005curious lang. why the breadfruit phobia?
May 19th, 2005Just ate too much of it as a kid (refer to post) so I overdosed on it! :-)
May 19th, 2005In Kerala, India we chop the Kamansi(we call it Kadachakha)
May 26th, 2005into small chunks and boil it with salt till lightly cooked. Roughly smash some garlic pods, dried red chillies, shallots and curry leaves ( not sure if you get curry leaves in Manila)
Then you fry the smashed items in a little oil till lightly brown and a nice aroma comes. Then add the cooked kamansi and enjoy with rice.
In Kamansi flower, what is the element/s that can cause to kill the mosquitoes?
Thank you!
January 30th, 2006Roldan, I have no clue what the kamansi flower possesses that wards off mosquitoes…
January 30th, 2006Hi:
Do you have pictures of the leaves of seeded breadfruit and the unseeded kind. How can one diferentiate one from the other. We have two trees growing on our yard, but, they have not fruited yet.
Thanks for any info.
May 9th, 2006Victor, sorry, I don’t have leave photos. I, too, would be confused in a garden as well. I think the larger breadfruit or kulo has bigger leaves though the shape of the leaves is similar… I am in transit through Europe so I don’t have my reference books with me…when I get back remind me and I will try and look this up…thanks for visiting the site!
May 9th, 2006in kamansi flower, what can cause the mosquito die?
August 26th, 2006Kevin, you are correct that it can be used as a mosquito repellant, follow this link here http://www.ntbg.org/plants/plantresource_new3.php?plant=1007 but I am not sure I would understand nor care to know the exact ingredietns or components of the flower that would ward off the mosquitos… Leave a comment if you figure it out, I am curious but not enough to do the research myself…thanks for asking!
August 26th, 2006in kamansi flower,is there reaserchers that use kamansi as a mosquito repellent?
September 4th, 2006My student is conducting an investigation right now on the potency of camansi as anti-diabetic. Data showed lower sugar level to treatments with the plant extract.Do you have any idea what’s in it?
September 20th, 2006Joefig, all I know is that it has a high starch content, it is low in proteins, and many Vitamins so it is a lousy staple, except in countries where they eat it with lots of other nutritious things like fish…
September 20th, 2006hey is this what we call “ugob” in bicol? cause its our investigatory project,ugob seeds as flour can somebody help me wtih this
February 2nd, 2007von, the only two similar fruits that I know of are breadfruit and seeded breadfruit and I see that you have seen both of my posts on these. I am not familiar with “ugob” so I can’t really tell what it is… If Ugob is like breadfruit but spiky like the photo above, then it is KAMANSI or SEEDED breadfruit which is slightly different from BREADFRUIT; they have different scientific names. I noticed your question to a Naga forum but I think the answer Autocarpus Altilis is incorrect if the fruit you are referring to is spiky and not flat scaly skin. And to identify further, BREADFRUIT does not have seeds. Wheras KAMANSI does have seeds… and since you are exploring a fruit with seeds…maybe this is it. The two fruit are very closely related, however; and relatives of the jackfruit as well.
February 2nd, 2007hey can i have your email add and ill send you some pics. thanks
February 4th, 2007von, my email address is in the contact part of the site… it’s marketman@marketmanila.com
February 4th, 2007Hellerz….
March 2nd, 2007its so delicious talaga ng ginataang kamansi..gus2 mo tumikim?marami kami dito…we need to have an investigatory project out of kamansi fruit.>
..,hai
March 3rd, 2007natikim na ako ng ginataang kamansi but it’s not true na masarap……..mas masarap pa ang ginataang langka.
WAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for the info!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 16th, 2008i hav a question what are the benefits that we can get from this kamansi??????
March 16th, 2008and also what is the chemical compound/substances in kamansi????help me guyssss…pm me in my email ok!tnx
March 16th, 2008MM, Have you tried eating dinuguan with kamansi/dalungyan (In some part of Quezon)? Masarap! The seeds of matured fruit is similar to chesnut try it again.
May 6th, 2008MM Bakit walang kang data sa marang? Diba they belong to the same class?
Market Man sorry po, I just read ayaw mo pala nang dinuguan.
May 7th, 2008