also widely available year-round, both canned and dried. Dried jackfruit chips are produced by various manufacturers. As reported in 2019, jackfruit became more widely available in US grocery stores, cleaned and ready to cook, as well as in premade dishes or prepared ingredients. It is on restaurant menus in preparations such as taco fillings and vegan versions of pulled pork dishes. Invasive species In Brazil, the jackfruit can become an invasive species as in Brazil's Tijuca Forest National Park in Rio de Janeiro or at the Horto Florestal in neighbouring Niterói. The Tijuca is mostly an artificial secondary forest, whose planting began during the mid-nineteenth century; jackfruit trees have been a part of the park's flora since it was founded. The species has expanded excessively because its fruits, which naturally fall to the ground and open, are eagerly eaten by small mammals, such as the common marmoset and coati. The seeds are then dispersed by these animals, spreading jackfruit trees that compete for space with native tree species. The supply of jackfruit has allowed the marmoset and coati populations to expand. Since both prey opportunistically on bird eggs and nestlings, the increases in marmoset and coati populations are detrimental to local birds. See also Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia Chempedak, a closely related Southeast Asian fruit sometimes confused with jackfruit Durian, a fruit similar in appearance but from an unrelated tree, also from Southeast Asia References External links Artocarpus Belizean cuisine Crops originating from India Flora of India (region) Flora of Sri Lanka Fruits originating in Asia Meat substitutes National symbols of Bangladesh Non-timber forest products South Asian cuisine Southeast Asian cuisine Tropical agriculture Tropical fruit