Peta Cooks Ackee and Saltfish

Background Information

Fresh cod is salted and dried to make saltfish, which will keep for a long time and does not need to be put in the fridge. The fresh fish is washed and covered in salt. Slowly, all the juices are drawn out of the fish by the salt. What is left behind looks and feels a bit like cardboard. When pieces of saltfish are added to boiling water, they become soft again and are good for eating.

Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica. It has the nickname 'vegetable brains'. Ackee and saltfish is Jamaica's national dish. Ackee fruits are said to have been brought to the island from West Africa in the 1700s. Only the yellow pulp of the ackee can be eaten. The pod and seeds are poisonous. The ackee must be just ripe and must be well cleaned and boiled for a long time to remove any remaining poison. Then it is safe to eat.

Tins of ackee are exported from Jamaica to vegetable markets in many countries. The look and taste of cooked ackee has been described as being a bit like creamy, scrambled eggs.