Ackee scientifically known as Blighia sapida is a fruit that majorly comes from Jamaica. It is a national fruit of Jamaica and is a member of the sapindaceae plant family. They are pear-shaped fruit and is green in color and after they mature it turns into bright red to yellow-orange, and splits open to reveal three big, shiny black seeds, each partly enclosed by soft, creamy or spongy, white to yellow flesh—the aril. The fruit typically weighs 100–200 grams. This fruit is used in many dishes and cuisines of Jamaica. It is typically made with salted codfish and is known as ackee and saltfish which is the national dish of Jamaica as well.
| Name | Ackee |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Blighia sapida |
| Native | Forests of the Ivory Coast and Gold Coast of West tropical Africa. |
| Common/English Name | Ackee, Akee, Akee Apple, Aki, Savory Akee Tree, Vegetable Brain. |
| Name in Other Languages | Guinea : Finsan ( Manding-Bambara ) West Africa : Akye Spanish : Akí Benin : Diremou ( Baatonu (language) Ivory Coast : Kaka Cuba : Arbol De Seso Surinam : Akie Czech : Mýdelník Obvejčitý French : Akée Danish : Aki Guatemala : Huevo Vegetal Venezuela : Merey Del Diablo German : Akibaum Senegal : Finza ( Manding-Bambara ) Colombia : Bien Me Sabe Guinea – Bissau : Otau ( Bidyogo ) Martinique : Yeux De Crabe Sierra Leone : Maiyosundo Mexico : Arbor Del Huevo Panama : Huevo Vegetal Costa Rica : Akí Sudan : Finza Haiti : Arbre Fricassé Nigeria : Akee Portuguese : Castanha Eastonian : Maitsev Akipuu |
| Plant Growth Habit | Perennial evergreen tree |
| Growing Climate | Thrives in full sun or partial shade |
| Soil | Deep, fertile loamy soils with abundant moisture, but makes satisfactory growth on shallow sandy soils or calcareous soils. |
| Plant Size | 10–12 m |
| Trunk | 1.8 m circumference |
| Bark | Grey, smooth bark |
| Leaf | Alternate, pinnately compound with 3–5 pairs of oblong, obovate-oblong, or elliptic leaflets, 15–30 cm long, with obtuse base and acuminate apex, glossy bright-green on the upper surface, dull and paler and finely hairy on the prominently raised lateral veins on the underside. |
| Leaflets | 8–12 centimeters (3.1–4.7 in) long and 5–8 centimeters (2.0–3.1 in) wide. |
| Flower | Bisexual and male borne together in simple racemes 7.5– 17.5 cm long, fragrant, 5-merous, greenish-white and pubescent. |
| Fruit Shape & Size | Leathery, pear shaped, more or less distinctly 3–4 lobed capsule, 7–10 cm (3-4 in.) long |
| Fruit Color | Green that turns to a bright red to yellow-orange |
| Flesh Color | White to yellow |
| Flavor/Aroma | Delicate in flavor |
| Taste | Tastes like scrambled eggs |
| Weight | 100–200 grams (3.5–7.1 oz). |
| Seed | Large, black, nearly round, smooth, hard, shining seeds |
| Major Nutrition | Total Fat (lipid) 15.2 g (43.43%) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 30 mg (33.33%) Sodium, Na 240 mg (16.00%) Zinc, Zn 1 mg (9.09%) Iron, Fe 0.7 mg (8.75%) Total dietary Fiber 2.7 g (7.11%) Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1.1 mg (6.88%) Protein 2.9 g (5.80%) Potassium, K 270 mg (5.74%) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.07 mg (5.38%) Calcium, Ca 35 mg (3.50%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 0.03 mg (2.50%) Carbohydrate 0.8 g (0.62%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in (100gm) | 151 Kcal |