The ackee is a pear-shaped, pink to red fruit of a small African tree said to have been introduced to the Caribbean by Captain Bligh in 1793, hence the Latin name Blighia sapida. It is related to the lychee. The soft, white, creamy flesh of the fruit, which bursts open to reveal shiny black seeds when it ripens, is only edible when cooked. The outer skin and seeds are poisonous. The fruit is often served with dried fish (salt fish) for breakfast in the West Indies.
