Why ackee is national fruit of jamaica

Click to view more. Latest stories. November 11, NHA — Dr. Elizabeth Ward. Get the facts. World Tsunami Awareness Day. Uses Jamaica is the only place where the fruit is widely eaten. Eating it before it is mature induces what is known as Jamaican vomiting sickness, which, on rare occasions, can be fatal. As a result, its trade is carefully controlled.

After a protracted lobbying campaign by the Jamaica Ackee Task Force, the ban was partially lifted in , allowing canned or frozen ackee to be imported as long as it meets tight FDA regulations. For Jamaicans, there are no such restrictions. Ackee is often sold by the roadside on makeshift tables mere metres from its mother tree.

For Jamaican food aficionados, the nuances go further. There are two different types of ackee — cheese and butter — each with their culinary merits.

By contrast, cheese ackee is a lighter pale colour and much firmer in texture, causing it to stand up more readily to the cooking process.

In West Africa, the seeds and pods are used to make soap. In Haiti, food shortages have sometimes led to illnesses and deaths after people have eaten unripe ackee. Traditionally it is at this time that the ackees are harvested and the edible portion the arilli removed and cleaned in preparation for cooking. This delicacy is enjoyed by many at breakfast or as an entree.

The canned product is exported to ethnic markets worldwide and continues to be enjoyed by both visitors to the island and Jamaicans residing overseas. The national fruit of Jamaica is called the Ackee. Its scientific name is "Blighia Sapida.

There is even mention of this fruit in a line of the popular Jamaican folk song, 'Linstead Market. 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. Now it grows here luxuriantly, producing large quantities of edible fruit each year.

Ackee is derived from the original name "Ankye" which comes from the Twi language of Ghana. Captain Bligh also brought the first breadfruit to Jamaica. Before this, the ackee was unknown to science. In Dr Thomas Clarke, one of the earliest propagators of the tree, introduced it to the eastern parishes. The ackee tree grows up to It bears large red and yellow fruit 7. When ripe these fruits burst into sections revealing shiny black round seeds on top of a yellow aril which is partially edible.

There are two main types of ackee identified by the colour of the aril. Ackee contains a poison known as 'hypoglycin' , which is dissipated when it is properly harvested and cooked.