by: Rashida Smith
Origin of Ackee
Ackee is a fruit tree native to West Africa and was brought over to the Caribbean on slave ships. Captain William Bligh brought the fruit to Kew Gardens in England in 1773, so the Latin name is based on his name. Bligh introduced this strange plant to England in the 18 century. Thomas Clark, who promoted the tree’s fruit, planted it in eastern Jamaica in 1778. The tree can grow to be 30 to 40 feet tall.
Description of Ackee
It is grown throughout the Caribbean as an ornamental tree; but it is grown in Jamaica for food purposes. Salt fish and ackee is Jamaica’s national dish. Ackee is also Jamaica’s national fruit. Ackee is red on the outside and turns bright red when ripe. The seams on the outside of the fruit mark three separate pods of yellow inside. Each of the three pods inside has a shiny black seed in it surrounded by a creamy yellow. The seams split wide open when it is ready to be picked, then exposing the seeds and the cream colored spongy flesh around the seeds.
Handling of Ackee
The fruit has to open naturally or it will be poisonous to eat. The cream colored, fleshy pulp around the seeds should only be eaten. You should never eat any of the pink flesh or the seeds because they are poisonous. Once the fruit is ripe, throw away the big shiny seeds and the outer part of the fruit. Discard of it properly so children and pets don’t have access to it. Ackee should be properly cleaned, boiled and cooked. Ackee is a fruit, but when cooking it is treated as a vegetable. It is usually cooked with salt fish and onions, known as “Ackee and Salt fish. The contact with the salt fish brings out the taste because when cooked by itself it tastes like scrambled eggs.
The sale of the ackee was banned in America in 1970. Many individuals still smuggled it in for personal use. In 2000 the Food and Drug Administration decided to set standards and to designate companies in Jamaica that produced canned ackee would be deem safe for import. To ensure the safety of the consumers, the producers must ensure that the fruit is neither ripe nor over ripe, that the out membrane or outer rind and seeds are not in the canned products. If the fruit is under ripe it can contain high levels of toxic substances called hypoglycins.
If you digest any of the toxins, it can result in excessive vomiting, convolutions, coma or death. This is known as Jamaican Vomiting Sickness; a fatal hypoglycemia which can also trigger seizures. This is quite unusually because Jamaicans know how to prepare and harvest ackee. This fruit is very nutritious and contains lots of protein, unsaturated fats, and rich in essential fatty acids, zinc, and vitamin A.
Ackee is a major part of exporting business to Jamaica, more than $10 million. In other countries like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom where there is a large community of Jamaicans, this fruit remains popular. Importing this fruit was banned for many years in the United States, now the Food and Drug Administration now have certified ackee processors to carefully inspect the final product. Jamaica has competition now from Mexico, Costa Rica, Florida as well as the other Caribbean islands because they to recognized the nutritional value of the fruit and the value of the export of the product.
Salt fish
Salt fish which is highly perishable is salted for future consumption. This practice has been around for many centuries in places like Asia, Latin America and Europe. The objective is to remove moisture while allowing the salt to uniformly penetrate the flesh of the fish. This process is called osmosis. Preserving the fish is achieved by reducing moisture content and is enhanced by the high salt concentration in the flesh, which prevents the growth of bacteria.
Methods of salting fish
There are two methods of salting fish; the brine method and the dry method. In both methods the fish is placed in a container, where there are layers of fish and salt. In the dry method, the moisture which seeps from the fish forming brine is drained during processing. The results are fairly dry fish, and if required usually dried further by natural or artificial means. In the brine method, the brine is left in continual contact with the flesh until it is fully cured. The process involves removing the head and gut, on the boat or ship, then bled, cleaned and wash. The fish is then dry salted for three weeks, placed in containers with salt in between the pieces and stored for salting or curing period.
The curing period depends on the species of the fish, the storage temperature and the amount of salt that were used. The more salt used reduces storage time. After salting, the fish is dried using sunlight or artificial indoor drying chambers. Salt fish may be purchased whole or as fillets with the bones removed and has a long shelf life in a cold storage at 2-4 Celsius.
Salting is an inexpensive process which can be combined with other preservation method such as drying or brine also called “smoke”. The traditional method to dry salt fish was only by wind and sun, and was laid out on clean rocks or cliffs near the seaside. Prior to World War ll ground fish was dried on “flakes” in the sun. This method is still used today but after 1945, modern fish dryers have many advantages to the fisherman which allows them to spend more time fishing and less time on the traditional method. After World War ll, the increase in refrigerators weakened the demand for salted fish products.
Types of Salt fish
There are many varieties of salt fish (cod, polluck, haddock, and cusk) which is now available in retail stores either as whole fish, fillets, or pieces in a plastic bag. The whole fish requires more time freshen, removal of bones, and peeling of the skin. All salt fish should be soaked before cooking. The longer it soaks, the less salted the fish is. Fillets can be soaked a minimum of six to twelve hours. Whole fish requires twenty four hours of soaking. The salted fish should plump up after freshening. Freshen fish should be cooked because once it is rehydrated; it will spoil unless cooked promptly. Salt fish should never be boiled, soaked for twelve to twenty four hours in hot water in between to reduce the salt.
Jamaica supply of salt fish comes mainly from Norway. Salt fish is origin of Dutch. Much of the Caribbean islands are known for preparing salt fish and it is also a popular in Brazilian cooking. Local attempts at producing salt fish have be scarce and not been able to satisfy the market so it continues to be imported.
Food for thought
Ackee and salt fish is Jamaica's national dish. This recipe is Americanized but still delivers great taste.
INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 4
1 Can of ackee, drained
1/2 lb boneless salt cod
3 tablespoons oil
2 onions, sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper skin finely chopped up
1 small tomato, chopped
3/4 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 sweet pepper chopped
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Recipe by ©eatjamaican.com
Soak the salt cod in a pot of water overnight to remove most of the salt. If the cod is still very salty, boil in water for 20 minutes. Drain cod and cut or break into small pieces.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the onions, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper, tomato, tomato paste and green peppers. Stir for a few minutes. Add the cod. Stir. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then add the can of drained ackee. Do not stir because this will cause the ackee to break up. Cook for a few more minutes then sprinkle with black pepper.
Best served with bammy, roast breadfruit, fried or cooked dumplings, or fried or cooked plantains, cooked yams and Jamaican sweet potatoes.
http://www.cfeboston.com/about-saltfish.asp
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