8 results
Bahamas
Belize
Jamaica
St. Lucia
ackee
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).
food
plant
fruit
national symbol
Aruba
Barbados
Bonaire
Curacao
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Guadeloupe
St. Lucia
Trinidad & Tobago
St. Vincent
ackee
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.
plant
fruit
food
Jamaica
ackee poison
Jamaican Vomiting Sickness is a poisoning caused by ingestion of the unripe arils of the ackee fruit, its seeds, and husks. It is characterized by acute gastrointestinal illness and hypoglycemia. Severe cases can be fatal.
Haiti
diri ak djon djon
A native dish of Haiti consisting of rice and edible black mushrooms called "djon djon". The meal is more common in the northern region of the country and therefore can be considered a regional delicacy. When the mushrooms are boiled, they release a grayish-black coloring giving the rice its gray color and the dish's distinctive flavor. The dish is often served with some sort of meat whether it be fish, chicken or shrimp (usually mixed in the rice).
food
Jamaica
ackee and saltfish
A traditional food that is the national dish of Jamaica. It is typically prepared as a sautee of boiled ackee, saltfish, peppers, onions and other spices. It is usually accompanied by bread, breadfruit, boiled green bananas, or dumplings.
food
national symbol
Jamaica
We don't play hockey, we eat ackee
A funny bit of wordplay by deejay Shabba Ranks that depends on the overlapping pronunciations of 'ackee' (the food) and 'hockey' (the game). This pronunciation overlap is made stronger (and funnier) with the additional context that some Jamaicans have a tendency to add an intrusive 'h' at the start of words beginning with vowels and some Jamaicans have a tendency to drop the leading 'h' in words.
proverb
Cuba
huevo vegetal
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).
food
plant
Jamaica
patty
A light flaky pastry filled with a savoury filling. Traditionally they were filled with ground beef, but modern incarnations can have a variety of fillings including chicken, callaloo, cabbage, or ackee and saltfish.
food