Ackee
| Ackee | |
|---|---|
| Fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Genus: | Blighia |
| Species: | B. sapida |
| Binomial name | |
| Blighia sapida | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9.55 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dietary fiber | 3.45 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18.78 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8.75 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Raw arils after pods allowed to open naturally. Seeds removed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The ackee (Blighia sapida), also known as acki, akee, or ackee apple, is a fruit of the Sapindaceae (soapberry) family, as are the lychee and the longan. It is native to tropical West Africa. The scientific name honours Captain William Bligh who took the fruit from Jamaica to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England, in 1793. The English common name is derived from the West African Akan-language name akye fufo.
Although having a long-held reputation as being poisonous with potential fatalities, the fruit arils are renowned as delicious when ripe, prepared properly, and cooked and are a feature of various Caribbean cuisines. Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica and is considered a delicacy.