The ackee,
also spelt akee, is the national fruit of Jamaica.
There are
many local names for this fruit throughout the Caribbean islands.
Confusingly there is another
different fruit with the same name that occurs more in Barbados.
See
Ackee (ginnip)
This page
refers to the Jamaican akee or ackee (Blighia sapida)
This is a
tropical or sub-tropical fruit from West Africa.
It was
imported into Jamaica in the West Indies as a consequence of the slave
trade.
The fruit
is only edible when fully ripe and opened on the tree. The unripe fruit is
highly poisonous. Overripe fruit is also poisonous.
Only the
aril, the
fleshy part of the fruit around the seed is edible. The red fleshy bits
where the seed joins the pod, together with any red veins, must be discarded as
these are poisonous.
It is now
widely used in Caribbean cuisine. Akee and salt cod is the national dish
of Jamaica.
The fruit
is is steeped in Jamaican history and culture and has been immortalised
in the "Linstead Market" song. On the right is the clip for The Spinners
rendition of this. I think that it would sound great when played by a
Jamaican traditional steel band, only I couldn't find a suitable video
clip.
Links
"Akee is a
favorite fruit in the Caribbean, but is a native of Africa where it is
often eaten raw, cooked in a soup or fried in oil."
