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Bahamas
Belize
Jamaica
St. Lucia
noun
Blighia sapida; A fruit of the soapberry family native to West Africa that was introduced to the Caribbean. It is the national fruit of Jamaica, and features prominently in Jamaican cuisine where it is an ingredient in the the national dish 'ackee and saltfish'. The fruit changes in colour from yellowish-green to a reddish orange as it matures. When ripe, the pods open to reveal two to three fleshy white or cream coloured arils. The arils are the only edible part of the fruit. The fruit must be allowed to open fully before harvesting as unripe and unopened fruit is poisonous and may cause ackee poisoning or Jamaican Vomiting Sickness (toxic hypoglycemic syndrome).
also known as
huevo vegetal
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Aruba
Barbados
Bonaire
Curacao
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Guadeloupe
St. Lucia
Trinidad & Tobago
St. Vincent
noun
Ovoid green fruit that grows in bunches on trees up to 30m high. The fruit typically ripen during the summer. The fruit is related to the lychee and have tight, thin but rigid skins. Inside the skin is the tart, tangy, or sweet pulp of the fruit covering a large seed. The pulp is usually cream or orange coloured.
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122 comments
h
h
16 years ago

We don't play ackee, we eat ackee.

b
b
16 years ago

heeediat, is "we don't play hockey, we heat hockey"

a
a
16 years ago

How dem fi call guinep ackee?? Blaspheme I say... Blasssspheeeeeeme!!!

m
m
mskillz
14 years ago

lol hahahaha seriously still

a
a
anonymous
13 years ago

que significa la expresin "dutty sketel"

a
a
anonymous
13 years ago

"dutty sketel" is puta sucia

L
L
13 years ago

mmhhh wow beautiful fruit ^-^

J
J
Jamdude
13 years ago

Guinep and ackee are not the same, the isands that called guinep ackee dont av a sense.

P
P
Peace&Love
12 years ago

^^^You don't have any sense. You need to learn to respect people culture. Wunna one not the only culture. Don't be a Bigot. Open your eyes and EXPAND your mind.

Jamaica
Jamaica
12 years ago

Wow..I was surprised to see that other countries in the Caribbean refer to what we Jamaicans call guinep as ackee...

b
b
basil
12 years ago

Why are Jamaicans always shocked and surprised to see that they don't have the monopoly on Caribbean words?

Jamaica
Jamaica
Tanya
12 years ago

I love that different islands call fruits by different names. Some say ackee, others say guinep. Diversity mi seh!

Jamaica
Jamaica
jonas
12 years ago

wait til yu fine out wha di trini dem calltoto[/w]

Barbados
Barbados
Ackees
11 years ago

In d republic of panama we call this fruit quenepas but Barbados Ackees live and learn I don't get it.

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
triniadi
11 years ago

the pics they have before this page as ackee is what we trinis call chenet the other pics however are of real ackee

Barbados
Barbados
bajangirl
11 years ago

We have always called it ackee.

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Gabrielle
11 years ago

:/ Allyuh Chenet and Ackee are two different things.

Grenada
Grenada
Adam
10 years ago

@Bajangirl, you really call guinep, skinup, chenet.... ackee? Someone please verify.

Barbados
Barbados
Ryguy
10 years ago

Yes in Barbados we call ackee what y'all call guinep!!! Just like Jamaicans say "unnu" to mean y'all, we Bajans say "wunna" to mean y'all.

Jamaica
Jamaica
Drwattsy
10 years ago

What is toto in Trini?

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
jo
10 years ago

In Trinidad we call it chennete and akee is yellow with black seeds

St. Lucia
St. Lucia
jade
10 years ago

jamaica did not invent guinep or ackee. Every country has their own language. Ackee, guinep whatever can be called shit for all I care. Its from the earth not yours.

Dominica
Dominica
767
10 years ago

In Dominica we call this kenip

Jamaica
Jamaica
Luluh
10 years ago

LOL!! its ok, we're all island people, which is a blessing being that we are free. Thank God for our ancestors landing where they did. We are more than fortunate we get to call "our foods" whatever. I love it when I get to go home and pick ackee, guinep, june plum, and mango from the trees and EAT THEM!! Everyone, just respect each other, eat "your" food and enjoy... One Love!

St. Lucia
St. Lucia
smh
10 years ago

really stupid people here, we not tied to jamaica so call it what we like. saint lucia doesn't really deal with what jamaicans call "ackee". It's not our culture.

US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands
Hands
10 years ago

We call this genip in St. John. Ackee a whole udder ting.

Jamaica
Jamaica
me
10 years ago

I love ackee and salt fish

St. Lucia
St. Lucia
Chenette
10 years ago

In St.Lucia this fruit is commonly referred to as ackee and occasionally as chenet (which many people assume is the creole word for the fruit) however St.Lucians refering to the fruit as ackee does not mean that we are not aware of the Jamaican ackee (which is grown in st.lucia as well). It's all about island heritage

Jamaica
Jamaica
h
9 years ago

The jamaican usage of the word is the original usage. The word comes from akan language of ghana from the word akye which is their name for the fruit.also unu is from igbo unu jamaicans say it exactly like how igbos say it, that's so cool

Jamaica
Jamaica
meika
9 years ago

Ackee is wonderful with saltfish or even chicken so to all the people who don't eat I you are missing out on haven. it is a delightful treat

Barbados
Barbados
BajanAllDay
9 years ago

Schupse! All de talk, I like ackee (Barbados) real bad! It too sweet.

Dominica
Dominica
Joy
9 years ago

I am confused.... why are two different fruits pictured? I left Dominica as a young child, but the green skin fruit pictured I remember calling it Kenips and the reddish/pinkish skin fruit I only learned about it after moving to Miami and it was referred to by Dominican family friends as Ackee.... so its not a debate about who calls it what, but rather what exactly the debate is about....

M
M
Maebella Gabriella
9 years ago

Because it's a common name for both fruits....as s child I knew the bottom (green deliciousness) as ackee. It wasn't until I got older I realised that Jamaicans called the top pic the same thing (which they cook with saltfish, not one if my favs but who can turn down saltfish??) ...

St. Vincent
St. Vincent
Vincy
9 years ago

We call it both ackee and guniep!We know what Jamaican ackee is!

St. Lucia
St. Lucia
orlando satchell
9 years ago

Living in st lucia as jamicam born mother , my self born in the Uk , but a chef in st lucia, , how do we show case the cusine of the Caribbean if we can not call the ingredients the correct names , it's one thing to respect a countrs view point , however if it's call guinep or quenepa , why should you call other name like ackee , the national fruit of other island ?so where did it come from

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
9 years ago

Unbelievable that so many cannot accept that different cultures call things by differently. The so called "correct names" are those in the scientific classifications. Other than that its a fruit called differently by different cultures. Same as "money". Is it dollar, lira, peso, rupee, pound, renminbi, euro, franc (one for almost every letter of the alphabet), or is it all of the above?

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Trinigal
9 years ago

If Bajana call Chenet/ guinep 'akee', what do they call Akee? Jamaican Akee? And if Chenet/ guinep is related to the Lychee, did it come from China? Maybe an Englishman mislabeled a cargo of Chenet\ guinep when it landed in Barbados a couple of hundred years ago..? (No disrespect intended)

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Trinigal
9 years ago

It is one thing to call a fruit or tree by different names according to culture, for example Melongene, aubergine, eggplant...but to call it the name of a completely different fruit (imagine Mango for Melongene!) is somewhat confusing to say the least. But so be it. It is what it is :)

Haiti
Haiti
Nathalie
9 years ago

I'm Haitian-American, grew up in Miami. I have a Trini best friend and a Jamaican best friend. The green fruit I've only know it to be called either lychee or kinip. Akee is the other fruit that has the black seeds.... So freakin' good, but poisonous if eaten before it's ready. I've never heard the name to be used to describe one fruit, but it's good to know.

Barbados
Barbados
Jade
9 years ago

To those wondering what us Bajans call "Jamaican ackee", we doan call it anything because it doesn't grow here, we never really need to refer to it.

Jamaica
Jamaica
gerty
9 years ago

Den how unnu mek ackee and saltfish?

Barbados
Barbados
Jade
9 years ago

We doan mek ackee and saltfish, that isn't a dish here

Jamaica
Jamaica
gerty
9 years ago

Wow. That's no way to live. How very sad....

Jamaica
Jamaica
lee
9 years ago

Any Cape students here

Barbados
Barbados
ackee
9 years ago

We ackeee good

St. Vincent
St. Vincent
cynthia
9 years ago

I think that we should exchange plants... That would be a splendid idea.

St. Vincent
St. Vincent
cynthia
9 years ago

I think that we should exchange plants... That would be a splendid idea.

D
D
9 years ago

i love this fruit.Ghanaians also call it Ackee.how can i juice it for the purpose of milk?

Cuba
Cuba
Ysrael
9 years ago

This is funny because I'm in Cuba and I never see that fruit before in my life I see it for the first time on my neighbor's backyard ,she is Jamaican

Jamaica
Jamaica
9 years ago

Yes, CAPE student here @ lee

Jamaica
Jamaica
Jaden mohan
9 years ago

I love fish

St. Vincent
St. Vincent
urballiss
9 years ago

The only right name is the origin name from africa, everyone else chill out..

Jamaica
Jamaica
elizabeth
8 years ago

Its dosnt matter ,called it whatever in your country just eat and be happy

Jamaica
Jamaica
8 years ago

ackee and saltfish married thats wat mek it so nice

Barbados
Barbados
Andi
8 years ago

Research shows that both Bajan ackee and Jamaican ackee are related. Traditionally Bajans were afraid of Jamaican ackee because all we knew was that it is poisonous; however in recent times and with increasing travel, many Bajans have come to love and eat Jamaican ackee, with many having trees in their yards. We differentiate by saying "Jamaican ackee" as opposed to "ackee".

Barbados
Barbados
Andi
8 years ago

Many "naturalists" even eat the "raw" fruit. It has a nutty taste somewhat like a cross between a cashew and avocado and very much like the seed of the Bajan ackee. Are there any other recipes for ackee other than "ackee and saltfish"

T
T
Trelswny
8 years ago

I love ackee

K
K
Khadigah
8 years ago

I love ackee

Bermuda
Bermuda
Ana
8 years ago

I love loom bands

Jamaica
Jamaica
Bobzy
8 years ago

Please remember that ackee, when forced open is highly poisonous as it contains deadly levels of the toxin hypoglycin. DO NOT force open an ackee pod, but rather allow the pods to naturally open on their own.

Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Adyambo
8 years ago

I must say I had fun going through the different names, I knew about guineps being called ackee from a Lucian friend at UWI, but what got me were all the other names given to guineps by the different islands skinep was my favourite though. peace all food is good to eat, just make sure you see a picture on the menu before ordering. cats look like rabbits and everything taste like chicken dwl

Cuba
Cuba
IsabeldeCaracas
8 years ago

Aki y bacalao; mamon o quenepas

Jamaica
Jamaica
Barb
8 years ago

There is no Jamaican flag represented for the 'ackee'. That is the name known by the other islands whose flags are shown

St. Lucia
St. Lucia
Marie-Celia
8 years ago

Today, despite showing a Jamaican friend that the fruit is called different names by fifferent islands, she still kept arguing that every other name for what we call ackee is wrong. As Barb said above, we should respect other people's culture. I could not deny or argue a fact , do I allowed my friend to think she was a winner. There was anither Jamaican friend who just smiled!

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Gregory
8 years ago

The fruit shown in the picture is actually chenet.

Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua & Barbuda
Abstrak268
8 years ago

Omg these comments smh. Anyone calling the small green fruit w. thin/rough skin and creamy, fleshy insides ackee when everyone knows that the red fruit w. black seeds and yellow inside is ackee is deliberate. I not go call u what you're deliberately being but u deliberate.

US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands
Indy
8 years ago

genip! delicious.

St. Lucia
St. Lucia
jules
8 years ago

In St.lucia we have both fruits that are depicted above, how ever we recognize the first photo as Jamaican ackee and the second photo as ackee or chenet .if you are St .lucian and someone ask you for ackkee you will bring them the fruit depicted in the second photo and if you want the fruit in the first photo you will have to specify Jamaican ackee .right or wrong is relative to your nationalit

Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
Tanya
8 years ago

We call the green ones limoncillos. I have not seen a key here and am not sure that is eaten.

Barbados
Barbados
Alistair
8 years ago

The picture shown above is a readily available fruit relating to the 'Soapberry family' which is used to bulk out scant and meagre food rations in impoverished nations in the western Caribbean, therefore not common to the remaining thirty-five remaining nations of the Caribbean. The fruit itself has been long associated with pure ignorance and verbal diarrhea, hence purged from Barbados in 1731.

Jamaica
Jamaica
Jessica
8 years ago

ackee and saltfish is my favorite dish

Jamaica
Jamaica
ashanti
8 years ago

mmmmmmmmmmm

Guyana
Guyana
Rabbon-I
8 years ago

We murder guinep in Guyana. Nuff variety of fruit trees grow here.

Jamaica
Jamaica
Cristi
8 years ago

what do u call ackee in the usa

Guyana
Guyana
kamena
8 years ago

in Guyana we called it guinep

J
J
Jami
8 years ago

I ate Ackee! It didn't taste very good:(. (America)

D
D
Dee
8 years ago

I'm from the USA. I have never seen the fruit at the top before. However, if I came across it I would most likely use the word that someone told me. Most of the time if we don't know the word for something we adopt the word used by the original language we learned it from but if it's origin is known we would use the word of origin. The fruit on the bottom I have seen and we call it Lychee.

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
kp
7 years ago

Why is Chenet/Guinep on the same page with Ackee? This has to be an error that the owner of this site is unaware they made. Anyone from the Caribbean knows they ae separate fruits. I hope they fix this soon.

Jamaica
Jamaica
Theo
7 years ago

Mmm, it's a war of words lol.Everyone has a right to call it what they may wish to! It's just the same old rivalry thing.

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Patti
7 years ago

Are bananas figs or is fig a nick name for banana in the west and officially a fig is an actual fruit native of Israel ( what is soccer and is it football ) what comes first the chicken or the eggs

Jamaica
Jamaica
dan
7 years ago

ackeeisackee guinep isguinep

US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands
7 years ago

I love my Keneps !!!!!😉

Jamaica
Jamaica
Parker
7 years ago

ACKEE IS GOOD!!!!!!

Barbados
Barbados
Nipsy
7 years ago

Wunna can argue 'bout this for a very long time. In Barbados growing up, we only had Ackee trees (second pic what Jamaicans call guinep). I have never seen a (Jamaican Ackee) tree. Ppl travelling all over and some have planted this (Jamaican ackee) tree I understand, but still have not seen it on the island yet. My husband Jamaican and I Bajan and we laugh at the different names we call things.

Jamaica
Jamaica
IslandRiches
7 years ago

I love you Caribbean ppl

Jamaica
Jamaica
Issah
7 years ago

We had it in Ghana and I have eat it before, but I don't know the English name for it. But in my native language(dagbani) we call it #KPEHILAANI.

Jamaica
Jamaica
Island girl
7 years ago

I have never been to a Caribbean store and seen these called ackee. Guinep is guinep and ackee is ackee. If mi ask fi guinep dem go show mi di roun green sitten pah branch. Mi av big guinep tree wah mi naybel tring plant anda dung a yawd. Guh nyam ackee raw den nuh an si wah yuh get. Bout name nuh mean nutten. Kmt

O
O
Omgwana Kikbuti
7 years ago

I am from the US and while it is very hard to find Jamaican ackee (the top photos) here, it is completely impossible to find chenet/guinep (the bottom photos). I LOVE ackee and saltfish with rice...it is my main meal every time I go to Jamaica and I eat it as often as I can while I am there.

Barbados
Barbados
Dan
7 years ago

Lol Jamaicans

Jamaica
Jamaica
7 years ago

I'm a Jamaican someone asked if ackee can prepare yes it can saltmackerel and ackee red herring and ackee but anything it's prepared with ackee & saltfish is nicer let's respect other people for their culture and whatever they want the fruits One Love Jamaican Style

US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands
Genip, ackee, chenet
7 years ago

I live in the V.I., but was born in St. Lucia. When I'm in St. Lucia i say ackee for the thin skin green fruit when speaking English. I say Chenet when speaking french patois (French creole). When in the V.I. I say Genip as it is called here. I am aware of the Jamaican ackee, but it's not common around here. The scientific name for the green thin skin fruit is Genip. Respect all cultures.

Jamaica
Jamaica
Dean
7 years ago

Ackee ( look like scrambled egg yolk) and salt fish.... Jamaica's natinal dish. Guinep green marblelike sweet and pulpy....a we dat!!

Barbados
Barbados
Nilip
7 years ago

Ackee- fruit, hard green skin, orange flesh when rip

Jamaica
Jamaica
Ayesha
7 years ago

All of you are idiots who don't come from Jamaica. All of my Jamaican friends laugh please

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Artyst
6 years ago

So this is what happens when a bunch of Caribbean people end up in a chat... Interesting.

Belize
Belize
ELLY EL
6 years ago

BELIZEAN CALL AM KINEP , HMMMM

St. Lucia
St. Lucia
Ackee
6 years ago

Why are the Jamaicans being ignorant. Different islands call it different things especially since the Jamaican ackee is not really popular anywhere else but jaimaca. The second pic is ackee period. Y'all laughing at people calling the green fruit ackee but out here calling what all other islands call golden apple/pommecyterre june plum and calling sugar apple sweetsop lol. Y'all the dumb ones.

St. Vincent
St. Vincent
Ingie
6 years ago

We call lots of stuff by diffrent names in the caribbean .Lets just respect each other no island hold the rights so all others have to call it what they do.To me its Ackee with the green skin

Bahamas
Bahamas
Vincina
6 years ago

Guinep is not ackee...maybe that was a mistake..I love guinep

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Trinbagonian
6 years ago

Someone wanted to know what is toto?simple a penis.

Jamaica
Jamaica
superdashgmer562
6 years ago

hi trinbagonian your disgusting

Belize
Belize
6 years ago

we have ackee in belize to it's just not a big thing

I
I
IntlFam
5 years ago

Guinep in Colombia is called mamoncillo...Ackee is in Colombia too but I don't know what it's called since I never met anyone who eats it there. By the way toto means female genitals in DR so the opposite of what it means in TnT!

Bahamas
Bahamas
Paige
5 years ago

No one in the Bahamas calls this ackee, it is known as guinep. Ackee is a fruit that's red

Jamaica
Jamaica
5 years ago

Listen, what's the big issue about a name? Jamaicans call the green fruit Guineps, Barbadians say ackee. The green fruit is also called Spanish limes so much ado about nothing. What needs to stop though is the personal feelings and the little side words aimed at disrespecting each other. Get over it and enjoy u ackee guinep Spanish lime Chenet, kenip or whatever you call it.

Jamaica
Jamaica
5 years ago

Bulla in Barbados is gay....jamaicans eat bulla which is a pastry. We live fish and jamaicans call gay people fish also. We need to accept other cultures because we are all right and all wrong at the same time.

Jamaica
Jamaica
Jay
5 years ago

A ten year debate. Woah! I am so going to read through this all!!!!!

Belize
Belize
sosandra kisha
5 years ago

wow

Guyana
Guyana
Fat Pussy
4 years ago

The first pic is what Jamaicans call "Ackee" but Guyanese call it "Buck cashew" and the second pic is what we call Guinep/ginep in GT ✌

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Dizzy
4 years ago

In Trinidad we call the fruit with the green skin Chennet......I've never seen an Akee fruit in my life or eaten it. I've also never seen an Akee tree in Trinidad, from my knowledge, we don't have it here unless we import it. I'd love to taste it though :)

Dominica
Dominica
Mweh mem
4 years ago

Dominicans does say kennip idk where allu come out and get ackee and put Dominica by it

Bahamas
Bahamas
Biscuit not Cracka
4 years ago

In the Bahamas we call this GUINEP not ackee

Jamaica
Jamaica
Anonymus
4 years ago

How uno fi call guinep ackee.Uno muss mad.

Barbados
Barbados
Clemkonan
3 years ago

Nice to see that even after being dispersed through the islands ( landfall was usually Barbados) and into the 13 colonies we have retained the food and remnants of the language of the motherland. Dont be distracted, respect our individual islands and culture dont let the waters that divide us divide us as a people. As a remnant forcefully torn out of the motherland we are unique.

M
M
MC
3 years ago

Soms of you are right to say that they are not the same.. because they are not.. on the ABC islands we have kenepa (guinep) only.. and no ackee .

Barbados
Barbados
Ngoma Bishop
3 years ago

As long as it's safe, healthy and you like it - eat it no matter what you call it. Be careful though if ordering food when not at home because different people might call the same thing something different. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

Jamaica
Jamaica
Josh
3 years ago

I love jamaica

St. Martin/Maarten
St. Martin/Maarten
Alyssa
2 years ago

I call it kinip

Barbados
Barbados
Dee
2 years ago

Hubby is Jamaican. Looked at fruit and named them. Had a good laugh at each island's name. Golden Apple aka June Plum, Sugar Apple aka Sweet Sop. Dounce aka Coolie Plum. He said Bajans "sing" when we talk and mimicked me, I said Jamaicans can't say "Hs" (H)ouse. Ordered a chicken roti. Got Curry and skin on side. I said No, want it wrapped. Trini said you didn't order that. When in Rome...

Jamaica
Jamaica
TP
last year

Is it really so hard to accept that different countries use different names for a fruit, or the same name for different fruits. If I told you the difference was the result of a colonizer being introduced to a fruit on one island then going to another island and misidentifying it would that make you stop fighting each other?

a
a
a friend
7 months ago

Ignoring the proper definition of ackee for a moment - can we just appreciate how beautifully designed this site is? :chefs-kiss:

S
S
Soma Garden Dominica
2 months ago

Let me provide an idea of how i think this happened. Kenip,guinep, chenet, quenepas, momoncillo or (bajan ackee) are in the same family of fruits as the jamaican Ackee. The Sapindaceae family also includes, lychee, longan, rambutan, pulasan, alupag and guarana to name a few !