Delicious Jamaican Fruit

Jamaican fruit, or should I say, fruit in Jamaica, has always been an important part of Jamaican culture for me. There are so many fruits on the island that contribute to the variety of tastes. For instance, some of the more popular fruits are mangos, ackee (the national fruit), star apples, avocado pear, otaheite apples, breadfruit, guava, guinep, papaya, passion fruit, pomegranate, jackfruit, and june plum. Some of these fruits are not eaten like other traditional pick and eat fruits, they must be prepared in a certain way to be edible. In addition, fruit is used to make a number of pastries, cakes, jams, and other tasty treats which Jamaicans are very proud of. Some of these treats can be found all over the island at shops such as those at Devon House.

I would argue that most or at least a couple of these fruits can be found on Jamaica fruit trees in every neighboring yard. It may not be necessary for some Jamaicans to venture out of their own yard to compile the ingredients of a mouth-watering fruit salad or refreshing fruit juice to quench your thirst.

Many of the fruits in Jamaica are accompanied by really interesting history. Some of this history which may be of note is the history of the banana trade and the national fruit, ackee.

Warning: With great history Ackee also comes with a warning which is important to divulge on this page about Jamaican fruit. Ackee, though tasty when the fruit is ripe, must be eaten with caution and prepared correctly. If ackee is unripe, eating it can lead to vomiting which can lead to possible coma and even death. The poison in the unripe ackee is called hypoglycin. Ripe and ready ackee will open and display the yellow part of the fruit called arilli which is the only safe and edible part.

Eating the fruit in Jamaica can be a great way to add to your trip. It is both healthy and fun.

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