What is the national fruit of Jamaica?

Ackee (Blighia Sapida) is the national fruit of Jamaica as well as a component of the national dish – ackee and codfish. Although the ackee is not indigenous to Jamaica, it has remarkable historic associations. Originally, it was imported to the island from West Africa, probably on a slave ship.

Is ackee a fruit?

Ackee is a plant that produces fruit. It is found in West Africa, the Caribbean, southern Florida, and Central America. Ripe ackee fruit is eaten as food and is considered a dietary staple in Jamaica. However, unripe ackee fruit is very poisonous.

Is ackee a nut?

Technically, it's a fruit, but it's cooked and used as a vegetable. In fact, it's the national fruit of Jamaica and plays a starring role in the country's national dish: ackee and saltfish.

What is the poisonous fruit in Jamaica?

Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica, is a food staple in many Jamaican diets. The fruit is rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin A, zinc, and protein. Consumption of unripe ackee fruit, however, can lead to potentially fatal toxicity, known as Jamaican vomiting sickness.

Who eats ackee?

Like tomatoes, ackee is a fruit that is most often prepared in savory dishes. In many West African countries, including Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal, ackee is commonly eaten raw, fried in oil, or mixed in soups. In Jamaica, it is often cooked with codfish, onions and tomatoes, or curried and served with rice.

Jamaican National Fruit

Can you grow ackee in the US?

History: The species was brought to Jamaica in 1793 by Captain Bligh and is now naturalized throughout that country. Importance: Ackee is not grown commercially in Florida and is not common in the home landscape. Ackee is grown commercially, and wild (feral) trees are harvested for fresh and canned fruit in Jamaica.

Does ackee taste like eggs?

The ackee fruit, a poisonous relative of the lychee, tastes like scrambled eggs when cooked. The oddly savory fruit is only really enjoyed in Jamaica, where enslavers brought the fruit in the the 1770s.

What is Jamaican vomiting sickness?

Ingestion of the unripened Ackee fruit (Blighia sapida) may result in the metabolic syndrome known as "Jamaican vomiting sickness." Clinical manifestations may include profuse vomiting, altered mental status, and hypoglycemia. Severe cases have been reported to cause seizures, hypothermia, coma, and death.

Is ackee healthy to eat?

Ackee is a safe food to eat if prepared properly, and is good for you. “Ackee is an unsaturated fat, and has additional health benefits through its high protein content, being a good source of vitamins B and C, zinc, calcium and fibre,” reports the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Can dogs eat ackee?

No, ackee is dangerous to dogs. Its arils, seeds, and husks are highly poisonous, especially when the fruit is unripe. They contain hypoglycin, a toxin that can cause a range of problems, from acute digestive distress to hypoglycemia.

Who brought ackee to Jamaica?

Captain Bligh also brought the first breadfruit to Jamaica. Before this, the ackee was unknown to science. In 1778, Dr. Thomas Clarke, one of the earliest propogators of the tree, introduced it to the eastern parishes.

What does ackee do to your body?

The most important health benefits of ackee fruit may include its ability to lower blood pressure, boost energy levels, support healing, and growth, aid in digestion, lower cholesterol, build strong bones, improve the immune system, and increase circulation.

Why do Jamaicans eat ackee?

Ackee is loaded with fibre, protein and vitamin C. In Jamaica's brutal slave society, the foodstuffs made a cheap and nutritious repast for enslaved people on the country's hot, humid sugar plantations.

What do ackee taste like?

The raw yellow flesh of an ackee fruit has a very mild, savory flavor that is similar to cream cheese with a slightly nutty, bitter undertone. Others compare it to garbanzo beans, avocado, or almonds. The texture is firm like a jackfruit and juicy with a buttery mouthfeel.

How poisonous is ackee?

When ingested unripe, ackee produces vomiting and fatal cases of poisoning. The toxic health effects are produced by hypoglycins A and B, which have a potent hypoglycemic effect causing the clinical symptoms and death. The most toxic is hypoglycin A, which is found in the unripe arils.

Should diabetic eat ackee?

Dietary Fiber Maintain Digestive Health: Ackee contains a high amount of dietary fiber that is beneficial for maintaining digestive health. Fiber helps in proper bowel movement, thus preventing many stomach-related conditions of constipation and obesity. Also, it reduces the risk of colon diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Is ackee and acai the same thing?

However, there are several notable differences that set these two fruits apart. For starters, the açaí berry is harvested from the açaí palm, a species of tree that is native to northern South America and belongs to a completely different family of plants than ackee.

Where did the ackee originate from?

The ackee (Blighia sapida), a tropical fruit belonging to the Sapindaceae family, has its origin in West Africa but has traversed the Atlantic Ocean, making the Caribbean (where it grows wildly and is also cultivated) its home.

Is Jamaica a poor country?

The largest and most populous English-speaking country in the Caribbean, Jamaica is also one of the poorest countries in North America despite being considered an upper-middle-income country by the World Bank.

Is Aki fruit poisonous?

Unripe ackee fruit contains a poison called hypoglycin, so preparers must be careful to wait until the fruit's protective pods turn red and open naturally. Once open, the only edible portion is the yellow arilli, which surround always-toxic black seeds.

What can I cook ackee with?

Add ackee to skillet with salt and Scotch Bonnet pepper stirring gently to coat with seasonings. Cover skillet and reduce to simmer for 5 minutes. Delicious served with dumplings, callaloo and fried plantains.

What is a substitute for ackee?

If you have trouble finding it, you can substitute with regular cod filets and add some salt to the skillet later (just be aware that this is borderline sacrilegious in Jamaica).

What ackee looks like?

Ackee, or blighia sapida, is related to lychee, those small, sweet fruits with a spiky outer peel. But in taste and appearance, ackee couldn't be more different. About the size and shape of a large pear, but with ridges all around, ackee fruits take on a rosy coral color as they mature on the tree.