Acckee Salt Fish

Ackee and saltfish is a beloved Jamaican dish anyone should try at least once in their life. In fact, it’s the national dish of the Caribbean country, and the people there eat it any time of the day. Ackee is also the national fruit of Jamaica. However, some Jamaicans consider ackee a vegetable.

The dish consists of sautéed salt fish with boiled ackee, tomatoes, onions, thyme, garlic, black pepper, as well as optional ingredients. Jamaicans often serve it with dumplings, boiled yellow ham, breadfruit, boiled bananas, or fried plantain.

Ackee, also known as ackee apple, is actually a pear-shaped fruit. It’s a member of the Sapindaceae, which makes it similar to the lychee and the longan. We find it in warm climates, being native to tropical West Africa. Ackee was imported to Jamaica from Africa before 1778, and it soon became a major ingredient in various Caribbean dishes. Curiously, although an African fruit, Jamaicans use and love it the most.