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Ackee and Saltfish

Ackee and saltfish

Specialised

⚠ THE NATIONAL DISH IS A WEST AFRICAN FRUIT AND A NORTH ATLANTIC FISH, which is the whole history of the island on a plate. ACKEE (Blighia sapida) came from West Africa on the slave ships in the eighteenth century; SALT COD came from the North Atlantic as cheap protein for enslaved people. Cooked with onion, tomato, scallion, thyme and Scotch bonnet, the ackee breaking up to look startlingly like scrambled egg, and eaten with fried dumpling, boiled green banana, breadfruit or bammy. ⚠ ACKEE IS POISONOUS UNLESS CORRECTLY HANDLED: it must open naturally on the tree before picking, and only the aril is eaten — the seeds and the pink membrane are not. Unripe ackee causes Jamaican vomiting sickness, which is documented and has been fatal. ⚠ STATED AS A HAZARD, NOT GIVEN AS A METHOD.

Atlas — where and when

Communities and languages

Languages: Jamaican Patois

What is recorded

  • Ackee (Blighia sapida) is a West African species documented as introduced to Jamaica in the eighteenth century via the slave trade. Salt cod entered the Caribbean as inexpensive imported protein for enslaved populations. The national dish therefore pairs a West African fruit with a North Atlantic fish, and that composition is itself the documented history. documented
  • Ackee is toxic unless the fruit has opened naturally on the tree and only the aril is consumed; the seeds and membrane are not eaten. Unripe ackee causes Jamaican vomiting sickness through hypoglycin A, which is documented and has been fatal. Stated as a hazard; no preparation method is given. documented

Related foodways

This foodway relates to

  • originates from West African Foodways documented

    Ackee (Blighia sapida) is a West African tree brought to Jamaica in the eighteenth century on the slave route.

Recipes

No recipes are filed under this cuisine yet.