The company, which is pushing jackfruit as a meat alternative, also works with restaurants in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and San Francisco
Karana, a whole-plant-based meat startup from Singapore using jackfruit as its main ingredient, has expanded to New York City.
The company is known for its minced jackfruit, made into dishes and products used by restaurants. In the Big Apple, it launches with a partnership with Plantega, a plant-based bodega chain, on May 25.
Read more: Meet the founder creating Asia’s first plant-based meat alternative using jackfruit
Karana also has a presence in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and San Francisco through partnerships with food brands such as SaladStop!, Aqui and Empress by Boon. Some of the jackfruit-based dishes that have emerged from these partnerships include dim sum, chorizo meatballs and gyozas.
Founded in 2019 by Gen.T honourees Blair Crichton and Dan Riegler, Karana uses Sri Lankan jackfruit, which has been traditionally used as a meat substitute. According to the startup, at least 60 percent of the crop, however, is currently wasted in countries that grow them. Its goal is to change this—and make jackfruit a staple global ingredient in the next decade or two.
“Our food system is in crisis. It is both a driver of—and greatly impacted by—climate change, and our reliance on a small number of ingredients that often require heavy processing is destroying our health and our soil,” said Crichton in a statement.
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