Frederic Melton
Ackee is a fruit native to West Africa that was brought to Jamaica in the late 18th century as a result of the slave trade. It is now widely cultivated across the island and is Jamaica's national fruit. It is often cooked and served with salted cod, onions, peppers, and seasonings like thyme and black pepper. When cooked, ackee has a creamy and smooth texture and a mild, nutty, and buttery flavor. Some people compare the taste to cheese, scrambled eggs, avocado, or vegetables like zucchini or chayote. It is a versatile ingredient that can be used in dishes like stir-fries, casseroles, salads, and soups.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | Firm and crumbly |
| Taste | Mild and nutty, similar to cream cheese, avocado, garbanzo beans, or almonds |
| Culinary uses | Added to a fresh salad, tossed into a stir fry, sautéed with garlic and onion, used in a traditional breakfast with saltfish, added to a casserole, soup, or rice dishes, quiche, or callaloo |
| Colour | Pale or creamy |
| Shape | Retains its shape well |
| Toxicity | Toxic if eaten before it ripens |
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What You'll Learn
- Ackee is a fruit native to West Africa and Jamaica's national fruit
- It has a mild, nutty, buttery flavour and a creamy, delicate texture
- Ackee absorbs the flavours of the spices and ingredients it's cooked with
- It's often compared to scrambled eggs in appearance and texture, but not in taste
- In Jamaica, ackee is classified as either butter or cheese ackee
Ackee is a fruit native to West Africa and Jamaica's national fruit
The raw yellow flesh of butter ackee has a mild, savory flavor similar to cream cheese, with a slightly nutty, bitter undertone. Some people compare it to garbanzo beans, avocados, or almonds. The texture is firm and juicy, with a buttery mouthfeel. When cooked, it softens and becomes tender, melting in your mouth like molten butter. Butter ackee is perfect for baking, quick breads, cakes, custards, ice cream, drinks, and smoothies.
On the other hand, cheese ackee has a firmer texture and doesn't break up as easily during cooking. It can withstand higher temperatures and retains its shape better. Cheese ackee is excellent for sautés, salads, stir-fries, casseroles, and soups. It is also the preferred variety for canning due to its firmer texture. When cooked, it resembles scrambled eggs in appearance, but its flavor is more like cheese, hence its name.
Ackee is a versatile fruit that can be used in various dishes, both sweet and savory. It is often cooked with saltfish, creating a savory combination of slightly sweet and nutty flavors from the ackee, complemented by the sweetness of onions and peppers and the saltiness of the fish. Ackee is also used in soups, providing a creamy texture and subtle flavor, and it can be a great meat substitute in vegetarian and vegan dishes.
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It has a mild, nutty, buttery flavour and a creamy, delicate texture
Ackee is a tropical fruit native to West Africa and widely cultivated in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. It is the national fruit of Jamaica and the primary ingredient in the country's national dish, ackee and saltfish.
The taste of ackee is often described as mild, nutty, and buttery, with a creamy and delicate texture. When cooked, it resembles scrambled eggs in colour and texture, but its flavour is more akin to cheese, specifically cream cheese, with a nutty, bitter undertone. Some people compare the taste to garbanzo beans, avocados, or almonds. The texture is similar to jackfruit—juicy and buttery, with a melt-in-your-mouth feel.
There are two main types of ackee: "butter" and "cheese". Butter ackee has yellow arils, which are the edible meaty flesh of the fruit. Its flesh is soft, creamy, and buttery, similar to cream cheese. Butter ackee is perfect for baking, custards, and smoothies, as it easily mashes and blends when cooked.
On the other hand, Cheese ackee has lighter arils, with a pale cream colour. It has a firmer texture and retains its shape better during cooking. Cheese ackee is ideal for sautés, salads, and dishes where you want the ackee to hold its shape. When cooked, it can also resemble scrambled eggs in appearance.
While ackee has a unique flavour, it also readily absorbs the flavours of the spices and ingredients it is cooked with, making it a versatile ingredient in various dishes, including soups, casseroles, and salads.
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Ackee absorbs the flavours of the spices and ingredients it's cooked with
Ackee is a tropical fruit native to West Africa and widely cultivated in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. It is the national fruit of Jamaica and the primary ingredient in the country's national dish, ackee and saltfish. The fruit is about the size and shape of a large pear, with ridges all around, and a rosy coral colour. When ripe, the pod will split and open, revealing three or four cream-coloured sections of flesh, each with a glossy black seed. These light-hued sections are the only edible parts of the fruit, as the seeds and outer skin are highly toxic.
Ackee is often described as having a mild, nutty, and buttery flavour, with a creamy and smooth texture. While it is sometimes compared to scrambled eggs due to its appearance and creamy, delicate texture when cooked, it does not taste like eggs. Instead, ackee readily absorbs the flavours of the spices and ingredients it is cooked with, making it a versatile ingredient in many dishes.
The two main types of ackee are "butter" and "cheese", which differ in both texture and culinary applications. Butter ackee has yellow arils (the edible meaty flesh) and a soft, creamy texture similar to cream cheese, making it ideal for recipes where the fruit needs to be broken up. It is commonly used in baking, such as quick breads, cakes, custards, and ice cream, as well as drinks and smoothies. On the other hand, cheese ackee has lighter, pale cream-coloured arils and a firmer texture that holds its shape better during cooking. This variety is often used in sautés, salads, and dishes where you want the shape of the ackee to remain intact, such as the traditional Caribbean breakfast of ackee and saltfish.
In addition to its versatility in absorbing flavours, ackee is also a good source of natural vitamin C and fibre, making it a nutritious as well as tasty addition to any meal.
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It's often compared to scrambled eggs in appearance and texture, but not in taste
Ackee is a tropical fruit native to West Africa that is now widely cultivated in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. It is the national fruit of Jamaica and is used in the country's national dish, ackee and saltfish.
The fruit is about the size and shape of a large pear, with ridges all around. It has a rosy coral colour when ripe, and its pod will "smile" or "yawn" when it opens up, revealing three or four cream-coloured sections of flesh, each with a glossy, black seed.
While ackee is often compared to scrambled eggs in appearance and texture, its flavour is quite different. When cooked, the fruit takes on a pale yellow colour and a creamy, delicate texture similar to scrambled eggs. However, in terms of taste, ackee is more vegetal and starchy, with a mild, nutty, and buttery flavour. It is said to have a subtle, unique taste that is difficult to describe and is often compared to various other foods, including cheese.
There are two main types of ackee: butter ackee and cheese ackee. Butter ackee has yellow arils, which are the edible meaty flesh of the fruit, while cheese ackee has lighter, pale cream-coloured arils. Butter ackee is softer and creamier, similar to the texture of cream cheese, and is ideal for recipes where the fruit needs to be broken up. On the other hand, cheese ackee is firmer and holds its shape better during cooking, making it suitable for dishes where you want the fruit to retain its structure.
The raw yellow flesh of ackee has a mild, savoury, nutty, and slightly bitter flavour, with some comparing it to cream cheese, garbanzo beans, avocado, or almonds. When cooked, the fruit becomes tender and melts in your mouth, with a buttery consistency.
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In Jamaica, ackee is classified as either butter or cheese ackee
Ackee is a tropical fruit native to West Africa that is now widely cultivated in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. It is the national fruit of Jamaica and an integral part of the local diet. In Jamaica, ackee is classified into two types based on the characteristics of its aril (the edible meaty flesh): "butter" ackee and "cheese" ackee.
Butter ackee is identified by its yellow arils, which are soft, creamy, and similar in texture to butter or cream cheese. It is perfect for baking, as it mashes very easily when cooked. It is commonly used in quick breads, cakes, custards, ice creams, drinks, and smoothies. To prepare butter ackee for a recipe that calls for cheese ackee, simmer it with a small amount of water and baking soda until the water evaporates.
On the other hand, cheese ackee has pale cream-colored arils and a firmer texture that can withstand being tossed around in a frying pan without losing its shape. It is ideal for sautés, salads, and dishes where you want the shape of the ackee to remain intact. Cheese ackee is the preferred variety used by canning manufacturers in Jamaica and is commonly used in the traditional breakfast dish ackee and saltfish.
Both types of ackee have a mild, nutty, and buttery flavor, with a creamy and smooth texture. When cooked, ackee resembles scrambled eggs in appearance but has its own unique, subtle flavor. It readily absorbs the flavors of the spices and ingredients it is cooked with, making it a versatile ingredient in many dishes.
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Frequently asked questions
Ackee is a fruit native to West Africa that was brought to Jamaica in the 18th century as a result of the slave trade. It is now Jamaica's national fruit and an integral part of the local diet.
Ackee has a mild, nutty, buttery, and creamy flavour and its texture is similar to that of scrambled eggs or firm custard. It absorbs the flavours of the spices and ingredients it is cooked with, making it a versatile ingredient in many dishes.
Ackee is typically served with salted codfish, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and seasonings like thyme and black pepper. It can also be used in soups, stir-fries, casseroles, and salads, or as a vegan substitute for scrambled eggs or taco meat.
