Fruit of a West African Evergreen Tree (Blighia
Sapida) named for Captain Bligh who introduced it to Jamaica.
Ackee is actually poisonous until it ripen-the yellow
flesh surrounding the black seeds is the only edible part,
It look like scrambled eggs when cooked. Ackee is most
often served with Salted Cod Fish (Saltfish) which forms our National Dish known as well, Ackee and Saltfish. Read More About Ackee
(Pimento) is a dark brown berry of an evergreen tree that
grows abundantly in Jamaica. When dried, the berries resemble
peppercorn. If you can imagine the combined flavor of
nutmeg, cinnamon and clove, you have the flavor of pimento. Photo
(Pear) Originally from Mexico, Originally called Pear, avocados
are now grown in most tropical and semi-tropical climates.
Avocado are very healthy- a good source of ten different
nutrients, and even higher in potassium than bananas. Photo
Common in early island cooking for wrapping certain
dishes, we mostly see the same done in foil and parchment
paper these days. The leaves impart a very special, delicate
flavor to the dishes Read More About Banana
Originally found in the south Pacific, made famous in
the Caribbean by being introduced by Captain Bligh. A
Large green fruits, they are only edible after being cooked,
it is found in many local soup. It also can be roasted
when riped (when it turns to a yellowish color) We rarely
think of this as a fruit. Read More About Breadfruit
Basically use as a generic term throughout the
islands for any tea made from local herds. Bush tea which is often made from one or several indegiuos herbs are considered
to be natural remedies for any form of sickness known to man, from treating the effects of the common cold (cold bush) to releaving the agony of menstrual cramps
or even warding off asthma attacks. Photo
Large, round, hard shelled nut with a white pulp
and hollow interior. Green coconuts give you Water, young jelly. Dried coconut yield coconut milk - which is grated coconut
and mix with water and strained is use in many dishes like rice and peas and all sorts of other dishes. Coconuts are also heavily used in desserts, beverages.
Oil
is extracted from the nuts and has a wide range of uses. Read More About Coconut
Transported to the Caribbean from India, this mixture
of spices varies from island to island, and even from
dish to dish. The prepared curries can be a mixture of
up to twenty different ground spices. Photo
(Guineps)The fruit of the Genip tree look like enormous grapes,
and are eaten the same way. With a flavor that runs from
slightly tart to slightly sweet. Photo
Probably a native of Asia. Most often used in it raw
from, it is used in everything from main course to sides
and like nutmeg, its even grated into beverages here in
the Caribbean. Photo
Round or pear shaped fruit similar in size and appearance
to the common guava. The rind is yellow, enclosing a white
acidic pulp with a guava-strawberry flavor.
It is eaten fresh, but often used instead to make jellies
and preserves. Photo
The largest tree borne fruit in the world, The Average
sized fruits are 1-2 feet long, and 9-12" wide. Skin
is green-yellow, with small spiky knobs, flesh is custard
yellow with a banana-like flavor. Fruits may sometimes
emit a foul smelling odor emanating from the skin. Photo
Jew Plum a oval shaped fruit with green skin and prickly seed which turns Yellow when ripe. June plum maybe eaten green or ripe or made into juice. Photo
From an evergreen tree native to Asia, and now a Caribbean
staple. From juice to cocktails, appetizers to desserts,
ripe and unripe, mangoes are in everything Caribbean. Read More about Mango
(Paw-Paw) Green, orange, or yellow fruit, often quite large and
weighing several pounds. Fruits tend to be very fleshy,
with an inside cavity containing numerous seeds. Flesh
is sweet, sometimes mildly acidic, with a texture much
like that of a melon. Photo
The big brother of the banana family, there are different
uses for the green, semi-ripe , ripe and over ripe plantains,
but they all must be cooked before eating. Another one
of those fruits That served as a vegetable. Read More About Plantain
Roots tonics have long been staples in the Jamaican grassroots culture, It is said that these roots can cure many illness , and significantly, about its ability to enhance sexual performance.The Names of the Roots include Chainy Roots, Sarsaparilla, Blood Wiss, Dandelion, Raw Moon , Tan Pan Rock, Search Mi Heart , Hug-Mi-Tight, Coconut Root, Banana Roots, Strong Back, Medina. Photo
Saltfish is the colloquial Caribbean name for dried
salted fish, encompassing several varieties of fish used
in island cooking. It must be soaked overnight and cleaned
before cooking. Photo
A term use for spice mix with many variations, but basically
made from thyme, garlic, parsley, onion and chile. Like
many other local condiments, it is made in advance and
kept ready to use. Photo
This particular orange is large, with rough reddish
orange skin, the pulp is far too acidic to be eaten raw,
but the juice is used a great deal in juice and also in
meat and poultry dishes. Photo
Soursop is the spiny, dark green fruit of a tropical
American tree with delicately tart and delicious pulp,
it is used mainly in drinks, ice cream and sorbets. Photo
Round, baseball sized fruit that when cut has a core
that takes on a star shape. Pulp is soft and sweet. The
star apple usually comes in two forms, either the dark
purple skinned variety with red-purple pulp, or the green
skinned variety with clear-white pulp. Photo
stinking toe refers to the large seedpod of the West Indian Locust, Hymenaea courbaril, commonly called the stinking toe or old man's toe tree, one of the largest trees in the Caribbean. The seedpods look like big fat toes and the mealy pulp around the seeds, although foul smelling, is edible and good tasting. Photo
Sweet potatoes grow on a trailing perennial plant, and
usually have a reddish brown skins and flesh that ranges
from white to deep orange. What is most often referred
to in the U.S as a yam that is so popular at Thanksgiving
is not a yam at all , but a sweet potato. Photo
Brown, podded fruit with brittle flaky skin and a deep
brown-red, sticky pulp that surrounds several hard seeds.
The pulp has a very unique sweet-sour taste. The fruits
may be eaten fresh, but are usually prepared as a flavoring
for beverages. Read More About Tamarind
