𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗻𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀
Our Story
Cool Tropical was started in 2023 by August Kokus, grower of Breadnut trees and great-grandson of Herbert "Bubba" Humphries (far left), who founded the Kennesaw Fruit Company in 1923 with his father Frank Humphries (second to left).
Today, instead of growing Orange Citrus trees, we're primarily focusing on a new plant to American agriculture called the Mayan Breadnut. This plant isn't to be confused with Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), which is also in the Jackfruit, Mulberry, Fig family: Moraceae.
Since this plant has never been grown on a mass scale in America, we plan to start the first plantation or grove in LaBelle, Florida, a place where land remains Tropical and affordable.
Our Goal is to change the world by giving it something that it will love: all the products of the Breadnut Tree!
What is Mayan Breadnut?
Breadnut, (Brosimum alicastrum) in the Jackfruit, Fig, and Mulberry family: Moraceae is native to Mexico and various Western South American countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Hondouras, Belize, Costa Rica, and even in the Caribbean, extensively in Hatai and Jamacia. produces a large quantity of fruit. The fruit consists of a thin fruity outer layer which taste like fig and tamarind, and a large single seed in the middle. Mayan Breadnut is not actually a nut, but a gluten-free starchy seed, with vitamins A and C, which can be boiled and made into mashed Mayanut (prepare just like mashed potatoes), baked and turned into any bakery delight like cake, bread, or even delicious Maya nut tortillas, and when it’s fried it can be made into French fries. If you dry it in the sun and grind it up, you can use the Mayan Breadnut powder as a coffee alternative and it tastes great; it’s just the way you prepare it, it is so versatile! We hope to sell all these products one day when we are able to acquire a large amount of seeds from Florida’s first Mayan Breadnut plantation! The wood has a hardness of 0.69, so it floats in water (1.0), and it is often used in construction of furniture. The leaves which remain green and plentiful, even in the dry season, provide a source of fodder for livestock. Additionally, it can be an excellent shade tree or an ornamental. The tree also produces an abundance of latex which can also be used economically. It is clear that this tree is a must have for the Future of Florida Farming.
*Seedlings are not Available for Purchase in our Store.
Potential
These plants are in the family Moraceae, better known as the mulberry, fig and jackfruit family. They ripen to a red fruit surrounding the starchy seed; Mayan Breadnut. The delicious fruit tastes like a sweet-syrupy fig with a slightly tangy aftertaste, with the consistency of very chewy taffy.
This amazing species has the potential to transform American agriculture, that's why we're confident this tree will change the world.
Mission
August Kokus is the CEO of Cool Tropical, from West Palm Beach, Florida, striving to introduce rare tropical plants into the world and leave behind a legacy for everyone to enjoy: the products of our beautiful trees. This project aspires to introduce the products of the Mayan Breadnut and other Tropical plants for Everyone to Enjoy.