| Description |
Ackee is a member of the Sapindaceae family, which also includes the lychee and longan. It is an evergreen tree native to West Africa and very popular in Jamaica, where it is the national fruit. It grows well in tropical and warm subtropical areas. It is moderately cold-tolerant and can withstand frosts of 26°F, but it is not flood tolerant. Ackee has a short trunk and dense crown and can grow up to 10 meters tall. It's fruit is pear-shaped and turns yellow-orange and splits when it is ripe, revealing three large, shiny black seeds partly surrounded by soft, creamy flesh. Ackee is highly toxic - the pods must be allowed to ripen on the tree before picking, and most of the fruit is inedible. Only the creamy flesh attached to the inedible seeds can be eaten when the fruit is picked when ripe and prepared correctly.
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