View source for Ackee

{{short description|Species of plant}}
{{For|the fruit-bearing tree known as ackee in several Eastern Caribbean islands|Melicoccus bijugatus}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Ackee 001.jpg
| image_caption = Fruit
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. |author2=Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). |year=2019 |title=''Blighia sapida'' |page=e.T146420481A156104704 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T146420481A156104704.en}}</ref>
| genus = Blighia
| species = sapida
| authority = [[Charles Konig|K.D.Koenig]]
| synonyms = {{species list |Cupania sapida|(K.D.Koenig) Oken
                            |Akea solitaria|Stokes
                            |Akeesia africana|Tussac
                            |Bonannia nitida|Raf.
                            |Cupania akeesia|Cambess. ex Spach
                            |Cupania edulis|Schumach. & Thonn.
                            |Sapindus obovatus|Wight & Arn.}}
|synonyms_ref=<ref name=POWO>{{cite taxon |POWO |id=782152-1 |title=''Blighia sapida'' K.D.Koenig |access-date=May 13, 2025}}</ref>
}}
{{Infobox nutritional value
| name = Ackee<ref name=morton/>
| vitC_mg = 65
| carbs = 9.55 g
| fat = 18.78 g
| protein = 8.75 g
| kJ = 
| fiber = 3.45 g
| niacin_mg = 3.74
| calcium_mg = 83
| phosphorus_mg = 98
| thiamin_mg = 0.10
| riboflavin_mg = 0.18
| note = Raw arils after pods allowed to open naturally. Seeds removed
| iron_mg = 5.52
}}

The '''ackee''' ('''''Blighia sapida'''''), also known as '''acki''', '''akee''', or '''ackee apple''', is a fruit of the [[Sapindaceae]] ([[Sapindus|soapberry]]) family, as are the [[lychee]] and the [[longan]]. It is native to tropical [[West Africa]].<ref name="morton">{{cite web |author=Morton, JF |title=Ackee; ''Blighia sapida'' K. Konig |url=https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/akee.html |publisher=The Center for New Crops and Plant Products, at Purdue University |work=Fruits of warm climates  |location=Miami, FL |pages=269–271 |access-date=3 May 2019 |date=1987}}</ref><ref name="GRIN">{{GRIN | access-date=2011-10-18 }}</ref> The scientific name honours Captain [[William Bligh]] who took the fruit from [[Jamaica]] to the [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|Royal Botanic Gardens]] in [[Kew]], England, in 1793.<ref name=morton/> The English common name is derived from the West African [[Akan language|Akan-language]] name {{lang|ak|akye fufo}}.<ref name="language">{{cite book | first=Allan | last=Metcalf | year=1999 | title=The World in So Many Words | publisher=Houghton Mifflin | isbn=0-395-95920-9 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/worldinsomanywor00metc }}</ref>

Although having a long-held reputation as being poisonous with potential fatalities,<ref name="Isenberg_a">{{cite journal | last1=Isenberg | first1=Samantha L. | last2=Carter | first2=Melissa D. | last3=Hayes | first3=Shelby R. | last4=Graham | first4=Leigh Ann | last5=Johnson | first5=Darryl | last6=Mathews | first6=Thomas P. | last7=Harden | first7=Leslie A. | last8=Takeoka | first8=Gary R. | last9=Thomas | first9=Jerry D. | last10=Pirkle | first10=James L. | last11=Johnson | first11=Rudolph C. | title=Quantification of toxins in soapberry (Sapindaceae) arils: Hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine | journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | volume=64 | issue=27 | date=13 July 2016 | issn=0021-8561 | pmid=27367968 | pmc=5098216 | doi=10.1021/acs.jafc.6b02478 | pages=5607–5613| bibcode=2016JAFC...64.5607I }}</ref> the fruit [[aril]]s are renowned as delicious when ripe, prepared properly, and cooked<ref name=jam/> and are a feature of various [[Caribbean cuisine]]s.<ref name=morton/> Ackee is the [[List of national fruits|national fruit]] of Jamaica and is considered a delicacy.<ref name="jam">{{cite web |title=Ackee |url=https://jis.gov.jm/information/symbols/jamaican-national-fruit-ackee/ |publisher=Jamaican Information Service |access-date=3 May 2019 |date=2019}}</ref>

==Botany==
Ackee is an [[evergreen]] tree that grows about 10&nbsp;metres tall, with a short [[Trunk (botany)|trunk]] and a dense [[Crown (botany)|crown]].<ref name=morton/> The leaves are [[pinnate|paripinnately]],<ref name="features">{{cite book | author1=Vinken Pierre | author2=Bruyn, GW | year=1995 | title=Intoxications of the Nervous System | publisher=Elsevier Science B.V. | location=Amsterdam, Netherlands | isbn=0-444-81284-9 }}</ref> [[Compound leaves#Divisions of the lamina (blade)|compound]] {{convert|15|–|30|cm|in|0|abbr=off}} long, with 6–10&nbsp;elliptical to oblong leathery leaflets. Each leaflet is {{convert|8|–|12|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|5|–|8|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} wide. The [[inflorescence]]s are fragrant, up to 20&nbsp;cm long, with [[unisexual]] flowers that bloom during warm months.<ref name="description">{{cite book | first=Kristen | last=Llamas | year=2003 | title=Tropical Flowering Plants: A Guide to Identification and Cultivation | publisher= Timber Press | isbn=0-88192-585-3 }}</ref> Each flower has five greenish-white [[petal]]s, which are fragrant.<ref name=morton/><ref name="description2">{{cite book | first=Robert | last=Riffle | year=1998 | title=The Tropical Look | publisher= Timber Press| isbn=0-88192-422-9 }}</ref>

The fruit is pear-shaped and has three lobes (two to four lobes are common).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Food safety and quality systems in developing countries|volume=One: Export challenges and implementation strategies|editor=Gordon, André|date=2 June 2015|publisher=Academic Press, Elsevier|isbn=978-0-12-801351-9|location=London|oclc=910662541}} {{page number needed|date=February 2024}}</ref> When it ripens it turns from green to a bright red to yellow-orange and splits open to reveal three large, shiny black seeds, each partly surrounded by soft, creamy or spongy, white to yellow flesh — the [[aril]] having a nut-like flavor and texture of scrambled eggs.<ref name=morton/><ref name="features"/> The fruit typically weighs {{convert|100|–|200|g|oz|frac=2|abbr=off}}.<ref name="features" /> The tree can produce fruit throughout the year, although January–March and October–November are typically periods of fruit production.<ref name=":0" />

<gallery mode="packed">
File:2013.11-411-172 Akee,leaves(e-s) Bobo-Dioulasso,BF thu14nov2013-1025h.jpg|Leaves, upper and lower surface
File:Ackee Flower 001.JPG|[[Inflorescence]]
File:Akee.jpg|Fruit as it splits upon ripening "smile"
File:2013.11-411-155 Akee,fruit(e-s),seed&aril Bobo-Dioulasso,BF sun10nov2013-1740h.jpg|Showing ripe fruit and seeds with their arils
File:2013.11-411-169 Akee,fruit(part),seed&aril(i-s) Bobo-Dioulasso,BF thu14nov2013-0953h.jpg|Part of ripe fruit, two seeds with their arils still attached
File:2013.11-411-169 Akee,seed&aril(whole,LS) Bobo-Dioulasso,BF thu14nov2013-0953h.jpg|Ripe seeds with their arils (dorsal view and in longitudinal section)
</gallery>

==Cultivars==
There are up to as many as forty-eight cultivars of ackee, which are grouped into either "butter" or "cheese" types.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Sinmisola|first1=Aloko|last2=Oluwasesan|first2=Bello M.|last3=Chukwuemeka|first3=Azubuike P.|date=May 2019|title=Blighia sapida K.D. Koenig: A review on its phytochemistry, pharmacological and nutritional properties|journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology|language=en|volume=235|pages=446–459|doi=10.1016/j.jep.2019.01.017|pmid=30685434|s2cid=195661482 }}</ref> The cheese type is pale yellow in color and is more robust and finds use in the canning industry. The butter type is deeper yellow in color, and is more delicate and better suited for certain cuisine.<ref name=":2" />

==History and culinary use==
{{see also|List of Jamaican dishes}}
[[File:Ackee and Saltfish.jpg|thumb|[[Ackee and saltfish]], a traditional Jamaican dish]]

Imported to Jamaica from West Africa before 1773,<ref name=morton/><ref name="jis">{{cite web|title=This is Jamaica |work=National Symbols of Jamaica |url=http://www.jis.gov.jm/special_sections/This%20Is%20Jamaica/symbols.html |access-date=2006-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619153047/http://www.jis.gov.jm/special_sections/This%20Is%20Jamaica/symbols.html |archive-date=19 June 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the use of ackee in [[Jamaican cuisine]] is prominent. Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica,<ref name=jam/> whilst [[ackee and saltfish]] is the official national dish of Jamaica.<ref name="NatGeo">{{cite web|title=Top 10 National Dishes|url=http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/national-food-dishes/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924192351/http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/national-food-dishes|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2011|website=National Geographic Traveller|date=13 September 2011 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref>

The ackee is allowed to open fully before picking in order to eliminate toxicity. When it has "yawned" or "smiled", the seeds are discarded and the fresh, firm arils are [[parboil]]ed in salted water or milk, and may be fried in butter to create a dish.<ref name=morton/> In Caribbean cooking, they may be cooked with [[codfish]] and vegetables, or may be added to stew, curry, soup or rice with seasonings.<ref name=morton/>

== Nutrition ==
Ackee contains a moderate amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat,<ref name=morton/> providing 51–58% of the dry weight of the arils as composed of [[fatty acid]]s &ndash; [[linoleic acid|linoleic]], [[palmitic acid|palmitic]], and [[stearic acid]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jamaican Ackee|url=http://wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm/lectures/ackee.html|access-date=2020-07-17|website=wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm}}</ref> The raw fruit is a rich source of [[vitamin C]].<ref name=morton/>

== Society and culture ==
The ackee is prominently featured in the Jamaican [[mento]] style folksong "[[Linstead Market]]". In the song, a market seller laments, "Carry mi ackee go a Linstead market. Not a quattie worth sell".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ackee - Jamaican National Symbol|url=https://jis.gov.jm/information/symbols/jamaican-national-fruit-ackee/|access-date=2020-07-16|website=Jamaica Information Service|language=en-GB}}</ref>
[[The Beat (British band)|The Beat]]'s 1982 album ''[[Special Beat Service]]'' includes the song "Ackee 1-2-3".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ackee 1 2 3 - The English Beat|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/ackee-1-2-3-mt0006520131|access-date=2022-06-18|website=Allmusic.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Toxicity==
[[File:Hypoglycin A.svg|thumb|[[Hypoglycin A]]]]

The unripened aril and the inedible portions of the fruit contain hypoglycin toxins including [[hypoglycin A]] and [[hypoglycin B]], known as "soapberry toxins".<ref name=Isenberg_a/><ref name="Isenberg">{{cite journal | last1=Isenberg | first1=Samantha L. | last2=Carter | first2=Melissa D. | last3=Graham | first3=Leigh Ann | last4=Mathews | first4=Thomas P. | last5=Johnson | first5=Darryl | last6=Thomas | first6=Jerry D. | last7=Pirkle | first7=James L. | last8=Johnson | first8=Rudolph C. | title=Quantification of metabolites for assessing human exposure to soapberry toxins hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine | journal=[[Chemical Research in Toxicology]]| volume=28 | issue=9 | date=2 September 2015 | issn=0893-228X | pmid=26328472 | pmc=4592145 | doi=10.1021/acs.chemrestox.5b00205 | pages=1753–1759}}</ref> Hypoglycin A is found in both the seeds and the arils, while hypoglycin B is found only in the seeds.<ref name="features"/> Minimal quantities of the toxin are found in the ripe arils.<ref name=":1">{{Citation|last1=Seeff|first1=Leonard|title=Chapter 35 - Hepatotoxicity of Herbals and Dietary Supplements|date=2013-01-01|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123878175000352|work=Drug-Induced Liver Disease |edition=3|pages=631–657|editor-last=Kaplowitz|editor-first=Neil|place=Boston|publisher=[[Academic Press]]|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-387817-5.00035-2|isbn=978-0-12-387817-5|access-date=2020-07-05|last2=Stickel|first2=Felix|last3=Navarro|first3=Victor J.|editor2-last=DeLeve|editor2-first=Laurie D.|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In the unripe fruit, depending on the season and exposure to the sun, the concentrations may be up to 10 to 100 times greater.<ref name=":1" />

These two molecules are converted in the body to [[methylene cyclopropyl acetic acid|methylenecyclopropylacetic acid]] (MCPA), and are toxic with potential [[lethal]]ity.<ref name="Isenberg_a" /> MCPA and hypoglycin A inhibit several [[enzyme]]s involved in the breakdown of [[acyl CoA]] compounds, often binding irreversibly to [[coenzyme A]], [[carnitine]] and [[carnitine acyltransferase I]] and [[carnitine acyltransferase II|II]],<ref name="Clinical Significance of Carnitine Function">{{cite book | first= Parveen J.| last= Kumar | year=2006 | title= Clinical Medicine | edition= 5| publisher=Saunders (W.B.) Co Ltd | isbn=978-0-7020-2579-2 }}</ref> reducing their [[bioavailability]] and consequently inhibiting [[beta oxidation]] of [[fatty acid]]s.  Glucose stores are consequently depleted leading to [[hypoglycemia]],<ref name="Clinical">{{cite book | first= Vishwanath | last= SarDesai | title=Introduction to Clinical Nutrition | publisher=[[Marcel Dekker Inc.]] | location=New York | year=2003 | isbn=0-8247-4093-9}}</ref> and to a condition called [[Jamaican vomiting sickness]].<ref name="morton" /><ref name="Isenberg" /> These effects occur only when the unripe aril (or an inedible part of the fruit) is consumed.<ref name="morton" /><ref name="Isenberg" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scq.ubc.ca/the-ackee-fruit-blighia-sapida-and-its-associated-toxic-effects/|title=The ackee fruit (''Blighia sapida'') and its associated toxic effects|author=Andrea Goldson|publisher=The [[Science Creative Quarterly]]|date=16 November 2005}}</ref>

Though ackee is used widely in traditional dishes, research on its potential hypoglycin toxicity has been sparse and preliminary, requiring evaluation in well-designed [[clinical research]] to better understand its [[pharmacology]], food uses, and methods for detoxification.<ref name="sinmisola">{{cite journal | last1=Sinmisola | first1=Aloko | last2=Oluwasesan | first2=Bello M. | last3=Chukwuemeka | first3=Azubuike P. | title=Blighia sapida K.D. Koenig: A review on its phytochemistry, pharmacological and nutritional properties | journal=[[Journal of Ethnopharmacology]]| volume=235 | date=10 May 2019 | issn=0378-8741 | pmid=30685434 | doi=10.1016/j.jep.2019.01.017 | pages=446–459| s2cid=195661482 }}</ref>

In 2011, it was found that as the fruit ripens, the seeds act as a sink whereby the hypoglycin A in the arils convert to hypoglycin B in the seeds.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bowen-Forbes |first1=Camille S. |last2=Minott |first2=Donna A. |date=2011-04-27 |title=Tracking hypoglycins A and B over different maturity stages: implications for detoxification of ackee (Blighia sapida K.D. Koenig) fruits |journal=[[Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]] |volume=59 |issue=8 |pages=3869–3875 |doi=10.1021/jf104623c |issn=1520-5118 |pmid=21410289|bibcode=2011JAFC...59.3869B }}</ref> In other words, the seeds help in detoxifying the arils, bringing the concentration of hypoglycin A to a level which is generally safe for consumption.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Blake |first1=Orane A. |last2=Bennink |first2=Maurice R. |last3=Jackson |first3=Jose C. |date=February 2006 |title=Ackee (''Blighia sapida'') hypoglycin A toxicity: dose response assessment in laboratory rats |journal=[[Food and Chemical Toxicology]]|volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=207–213 |doi=10.1016/j.fct.2005.07.002 |issn=0278-6915 |pmid=16099087}}</ref>

==Commercial use==
Ackee canned in brine is a commodity item and is used for export by Jamaica, Haiti and Belize.<ref name=":3">{{Citation|title=Copyright|date=2016-01-01|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128006054000268|work=Regulating Safety of Traditional and Ethnic Foods|pages=iv|editor-last=Prakash|editor-first=Vishweshwaraiah|place=San Diego|publisher=Academic Press|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-800605-4.00026-8|isbn=978-0-12-800605-4|access-date=2020-06-27|editor2-last=Martín-Belloso|editor2-first=Olga|editor3-last=Keener|editor3-first=Larry|editor4-last=Astley|editor4-first=Siân|url-access=subscription}}</ref> If propagated by seed, trees will begin to fruit in 3–4 years. [[Cutting (plant)|Cuttings]] may yield fruit in 1–2 years.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />

==Other uses==
The fruit has various uses in West Africa and in rural areas of the Caribbean Islands, including use of its "soap" properties as a laundering agent or fish poison.<ref name=morton/> The fragrant flowers may be used as decoration or [[Eau de Cologne|cologne]], and the durable [[heartwood]] used for construction, [[Deep foundation|pilings]], oars, paddles and casks.<ref name=morton/> In African [[traditional medicine]], the ripe arils, leaves or bark were used to treat minor ailments.<ref name=morton/>

The seeds were formerly used as standardized weights for weighing gold dust, leading to the currency issued by Great Britain in the former colony of [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]] to be named the "[[Gold Coast ackey]]".<ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|ackey|access-date=26 August 2024}}</ref>

==Vernacular names in African languages==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Language !! Word !! Meaning
|-
| [[Bambara language|Bambara]] || finsan || akee apple
|-
| [[Kabiye language|Kabiye]] || kpɩ́zʋ̀ʋ̀ || akee apple
|-
| [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] || iṣin<ref name=YorubaFruits>{{cite journal|title=Yoruba Food|first=William R.|last=Bascom|date=Jan 1951|journal=Africa|publisher=Cambridge University Press|volume=20|issue=1|page=47|doi=10.2307/1156157|jstor=1156157 |s2cid=149837516 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Dagaare language|Dagaare]]|| kyira
|-
|[[Ewe language|Ewe]]
|atsa
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links}}
{{WestAfricanPlants|Blighia sapida}}
*[https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210315-ackee-and-saltfish-jamaicas-breakfast-of-champions Ackee and saltfish: Jamaica's breakfast of champions – BBC Travel]
{{taxonbar|from=Q417145}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}

[[Category:Jamaican cuisine]]
[[Category:National symbols of Jamaica]]
[[Category:Fruit vegetables]]
[[Category:Tropical fruit]]
[[Category:Fruits originating in Africa]]
[[Category:Flora of West Tropical Africa]]
[[Category:Trees of Africa]]
[[Category:Sapindaceae]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1806]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Charles Konig]]