Lakuch, barhar in Hindi, is monkey jack, a deciduous tree of the jackfruit family whose small, lumpy, orange fruits are eaten in eastern and north-eastern India. In Bengal and Assam the sour-sweet fruit goes into chutneys, curries and pickles. It grows wild in sub-Himalayan and eastern forests and is planted in homesteads. It is much smaller than jackfruit, pala, and is a different species from the wild jack of the Western Ghats.
- Botanical name
- Artocarpus lacucha Buch.-Ham.
- Family
- Moraceae
- Hindi
- Barhar
- Sanskrit
- Lakuca
- Parts used
- Fruit, Bark in lists
- Habit
- Monkey jack, a small cousin of jackfruit with sour-sweet fruit
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Lakuch
It is a medium to large deciduous tree with milky latex in its bark, leaves and fruit.
The leaves are large, oval and leathery, with a rough surface and sometimes a few lobes on young trees.
Male and female flower heads are small, round and yellowish, on the same tree.
The fruit is an irregular, lumpy ball five to ten centimetres across that ripens yellow to orange, with soft, sour-sweet pulp around a few seeds.
Jackfruit fruits are many times larger and grow on the trunk.
Traditional use of Lakuch
Kitchen
Ripe fruit is eaten fresh with salt and chilli, and the pulp is cooked into sweet-sour chutney in Bengal.
Bengali food practice
Kitchen
In Assam and Tripura unripe fruit is added to fish curries and dal as a souring agent.
North-east Indian food practice
Dyeing
The yellow heartwood has been used to make a yellow dye for cloth.
Eastern Indian craft practice
Modern notes on Lakuch
The fruit supplies vitamin C and has sour organic acids.
Wood and bark extracts have been studied in laboratories, including for skin lightening, but human evidence is lacking.
It is planted as a shade tree for tea and as a fodder tree, since cattle eat the leaves.
Lakuch safety
The ripe fruit is a safe food in normal amounts. The latex is sticky and can irritate skin, so oil your hands before cutting the fruit.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows wild from the Himalayan foothills and eastern India to South-east Asia.
Bats, monkeys and birds eat the fruit and scatter the seeds.
It drops its leaves briefly in the dry season.
Related plants
Also in Moraceae
Questions about Lakuch
Is monkey jack a jackfruit?
It is a relative, with much smaller fruit.
How is Lakuch eaten?
Fresh with salt, or cooked into chutney and curries.
Where is Lakuch common?
In Bengal, Assam and the north-east.
What does Lakuch taste like?
Sour-sweet, a little like a tart citrus.
Is Lakuch the Western Ghats wild jack?
No. That is Artocarpus hirsutus.
Sources
- Artocarpus lacucha Buch.-Ham. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q759430 (Artocarpus lacucha)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.