Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica, this tree can be seen in Placencia.
For it to be edible it must ripen and open up on it's own, if eaten before it opens there's a 99% chance of being poisoned!
The Akee is from West Africa and brought to Jamaica in 1778 and is now the country's national fruit. . Popular food in the caribbean is Akee and saltfish. Had it in Jamaica and Barbados. Delicious but you have to careful by selecting only those fruits that have opened naturally. 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. With all that risk comes a delicious payoff — Jamaica's national dish is ackee with codfish.
I grew up with a Jamaican father and three trees in our yard, love it on salt- fish!
Photograph by Antonio Novelo
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