That’s the sound of the scream you’ll make if you see this suspiciously demogorgon looking fruit in the dark, or maybe as you observe the fruit looking at you with its “eyes” ! Ackee belongs to the Sapindaceae (soapberry) family, and its scientific name, Blighia sapida, comes from Captain William Bligh who took the fruit from Jamaica to the Royal Botanical Gardens in London in 1793. Originating in West Africa, it spread throughout tropical regions such as the Caribbean, southern Florida, and Central America.The common name ackee comes from its name in the Ghanaian Twi language, akiye. 
Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica, and you might have heard of it in reference to the popular Jamaican dish of ackee and saltfish. The dish has many nutrients that were the most easily accessible to Jamaicans. Ackee has a lot of fibre, protein, and vitamin C, which made it, along with saltfish, one of the best meals for enslaved peoples in Jamaica to eat while working on plantations. Over the years, it has become a popular breakfast and lunch food. Other uses for ackee include using the seed and pods to make soaps in West Africa and some use it as 
medicine.
The fruit grows on evergreen trees and year round in Jamaica, which allows Jamaicans to enjoy their national dish year round. When the fruit is ripe, it’s skin is bright red and easily split open to reveal the cream colored flesh, called aril along with large black seeds. The aril is what is eatern. Unripe ackee fruit, on the other hand, is extremely poisonous, to the extent that the US has banned most ackee products for the past 30 years. To eat ackee, separate the flesh from the sink and seeds and rinse extremely well before eating. When used in cooking, ackee is used more like a vegetable than a fruit and is often incorporated into more savory dishes.
Of course this week’s recipe has to be none other than Jamaican ackee and saltfish, which this week comes from Charla at “That Girl Cooks Healthy”.
Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish
Ingredients
½ lb saltfish
1 19oz can ackee I prefer Grace brand
4 tablespoon coconut oil olive oil works too (add more if needed)
1 medium onion chopped
½ red bell pepper chopped
½ green bell pepper chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3-4 sprigs thyme stem on or de-stemmed
½ scotch bonnet finely chopped (skip if you don’t want heat)
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika optional
2 garlic cloves chopped, optional
Thank you so much for informing me about another intriguing fruit. I can quite confidently say I have never heard or tasted the ackee, but I am grateful for you for expanding my food vocabulary. I love how your tone is so casual; it feels that we’re having a friendly discussion as you teach me all sorts of new things regarding this food. After reading your posts, I am often left wondering what these fruits taste like, and whether they are nearby and easy to find. These recipes you provide at the bottom of your posts also look so good as well, but I have to ask, have you ever made any of them or tried its most unique ingredients? If so, which was your favorite?
Looking forward to your next post. 🙂
Reading this made me crave fish. I’ve never had ackee and saltfish, but trying it is now absolutely on my bucket list. I also that you compared it to a demigorgon and compared the name to a scream: I can definitely tell you’re having fun with this blog. I’m trying to incorporate more healthy foods into my diet and reading all these fruit related recipes is a total inspiration. I already look forward to what you’ll post next week!