Hi Everyone, On my plate this week is Jamaica’s national dish, ackee and salt fish.
The first time I had ackee and salt fish was 10 years ago while on a trip to Jamaica. I had it at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus one morning. Prior to visiting Jamaica I had heard so much about ackees and everyone who spoke about them waxed poetically. So of course whilst in Jamaica when I saw it on the breakfast menu, there was no doubt what I was going to order.
Sitting on my plate were chunks of bright yellow flesh that looked like scrambled eggs and then there were bits of salt fish strewn all over mingling with onions, tomatoes and sweet peppers. I ignored the fried dumplings served with them and dove right in. I honestly cannot say what I was expecting from the taste but here’s what I found – the ackee was soft and creamy, almost melting in the mouth, and there was a hint of sweetness to it which contrasted tastefully with the saltiness of salt fish, the delicate crunch of the onions along with the tomatoes, sweet peppers and herbs made for a complex, interesting and new taste. I know you’re probably wondering if after using words like complex, interesting and new taste, whether or not I liked it. The answer is yes! I’d never tasted anything like it before and it was even better when I had it with the fried dumplings.
A few years later having settled in Barbados, I had ackee and salt fish again, this time at a work function and it was served with boiled green bananas. Well, just in case you don’t know by now, I love green bananas and when I saw it being served with the ackee and salt fish, I turned a blind eye to the other dishes on offer as I had eyes only for my love that was being served up with ackee and salt fish. In a word: bliss!
This past week, my friend Paula, who has an ackee tree, brought me a bag full; it weighed almost three pounds! I know I’m lucky; all you ackee-loving people please don’t be envious! Shame on me though, I had no salt fish in the house and had to delay my enjoyment for a whole 24 hours before I could head out to the supermarket.
I knew there and then that ackee and salt fish was going to be the subject of this week’s column, so I set about doing some homework and talking to a Jamaican friend, Yanique.
Here’s what I found out: the ackee tree is an evergreen tree that’s native to West Africa and it thrives in tropical and sub-tropical environments. The tree was first brought to Jamaica in the 1700s probably on a slave trip. Today ackee trees can be found all over the island and it touted as the second largest agricultural export. In 2006, revenue from exports are believed to have been around US$50 million.
Referred to as the national fruit of Jamaica, the ackee when it begins to ripen makes a colour transition from green to bright red to yellow-orange and splits open. When it splits open that’s when you know that the ackee is ripe and ready for the picking. The split outer shell reveals three large shiny black seeds attached at the bottom to a soft white to cream-coloured flesh. To clean the ackee, you remove the black seeds and the membrane which would be a pink soft tissue.
Like many fruits and vegetables, ackee is seasonal and peaks from December to March and then again from June to August, however, some people have staggered their planting of the ackee tree to facilitate fresh ackees being available all-year round.
Cooking ackee is fast and quick work, it takes just about 5 minutes to cook through and it’s very important to not stir the ackees too much if not they will disintegrate and turn to mush. Therefore, when you’re cooking ackee whether it is fresh or out of a can, you always want to add it last to the pot and to stir it only once. The ackees turn a bright yellow when cooked, hence the resemblance to scrambled eggs; the texture is similar as well.
Apart from being the national dish, ackee and salt fish is also traditional Jamaican breakfast meal and it’s served with boiled green bananas, fried dumplings (similar to bakes) or fried plantains. When it’s served on the weekends, like Saturday for example, it’s eaten with boiled ground provisions such as yams and dasheens; if the ackee and salt fish are served with ground provisions however, the accompanying dumplings are boiled instead of fried. It’s a real treat to have with roast breadfruit and at morning weddings it is the meal of choice.
At Christmas time, ackee is served with smoked ham and sometimes, bacon. Yum! Actually, ackee and salt fish have spread beyond the realm of breakfast; it is now enjoyed at any meal throughout the day. This meal has even moved into party-mode of cocktail appetizer not just because of its taste but also because it makes a striking presence. A riot of yellow, red and green sits atop small bammies (Jamaican cassava bread). My friend’s (Yanique) mom serves them in phyllo cups, that’s such a neat idea and definitely elevates the humble ackee and salt fish.
Although ackee is grown in other parts of the world and other Caribbean countries such as Haiti, Barbados, Cuba and Puerto Rico, it is Jamaica that this fruit and dish is mostly associated with. Those looking for a taste of home abroad or out of season can quickly satisfy that desire by reaching for a can of ackees. If you haven’t tried a plate of ackee and salt fish yet, don’t wait. Make it a priority.
Cynthia
tasteslikehome@gmail.com
www.tasteslikehome.org
