Blighia sapida

The akée , or aki , is a average Arbre of the family of the Sapindacée S originating in Africa Western and cultivated in the tropical areas for its Fruit, edible but not without dangers. It is a species close to the Litchi.

The generic name, Blighia , are dedicated to the captain William Bligh, hero of the mutiny of the Bounty, which would have introduced this plant of Guinea into the area of the the Antilles, in particular to the Jamaica in 1793. According to other sources (William Harris), this introduction would be former (1778).

For this time, this fruit has become a typical ingredient of the various kitchens of the Antilles, and it, more or less, is also cultivated in all the tropical areas of the sphere.

It bears various vernacular names: aki, akée, daki, kaha, also called “calf sweetbread” or “tree with fricassee”, in English: ackee , akee , akee APPLE , bait or vegetable brain , in Spanish: akí , huevo vegetable , seso vegetable , in Portuguese castanheiro C Africa .

Description

It is an average tree, being able to reach 10 to 12 meters in height, with a short trunk and a dense houppier.

The alternate sheets, persistent, coriaces, are made up paripinnate cash 6 to 10 leaflets oblong-ovals, measuring each of 8 to 12 cm length on 5 to 8 broad.

The flowers, males or bisexuées, are small, white and odorous. They are grouped in Grappe S axillaires from 15 to 20 cm length.

The fruit, in the red shape of pear shining with orange yellow is a capsule déhiscente with three cabins opening with maturity to let appear one to three large oblong seeds with spherical, of color shining black, overcome of a Arille soft, creamy or spongy, with flesh yellowish white. The whole of the arilles evokes calf sweetbread or the brain of a small animal.

Distribution

This species is originating in central and Western Africa: Benign Cameroun, , Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Sao Divide into volumes-and-Principle, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

It was spread by the culture in all the tropical areas. It thrives especially in the hot and wet areas, at low altitude up to 700 m of altitude.

Properties

The fruit contains a toxin, the Hypoglycine which is an amino-acid methylcyclopropyl-proprionic. This substance causes after ingestion a considerable reduction in the Glycémie, causing incoercible vomiting, without diarrhea, being able to result in convulsions and death, in particular in the children. It is an antagonist of the Riboflavine or Vitamine B2. Its toxicity largely decreases with the exposure to the light (after opening of the fruit) but is not eliminated by cooking. The accidents due to the toxicity of this fruit are a recurring problem in particular in Jamaica and Haiti, but also in Ivory Coast, in Togo or Burkina-Faso.

Nutritional composition of the arilles, for 100 G:

  • Water: 58 G
  • Fibers: 3,45 G
  • Glucids: 9,6 G
  • Lipids: 18,8 G
  • Proteins: 8,8 G
  • Phosphorus: 98 Mg
  • Iron: 0,5 Mg
  • Calcium: 83 Mg
  • Niacine: 3,7 Mg
  • Vitamin C 65 Mg

Use

Food

The fruit of the aki is not edible entirely: only the fleshy arilles surmounting seeds are edible, while the remainder of the fruit as well as the seeds are toxic. The fruit should be collected only with complete maturity, losqu' it opens naturally, and it must be fresh and not blet. The green or too ripe fruits are also poisonous. The fruit, even ripe, is the cause of a frequent disease in Jamaica, the Maladie of the vomiting of Jamaica, characterized by Vomi ssements and Hypoglycémie.

The aki with the Morue is the national dish of Jamaica. The salted cod is jumped with the akis, of the lard, onions, peppers, tomatos, sweet herbs, and can be furnished with fried bacon and fresh tomatos.

The Huile extracted the arille of the aki contains many important nutrients, in particular fatty-acids. The oil of aki contributes in an important way to the food of many Jamaïcains.

Plant ornemantale

The aki is also planted for its aspect decorative and planted on the public places and along the streets, in particular in Western Africa.

Wood

Wood durable and insensitive with the termites is used locally like construction material.

Symbol

The aki is the national fruit of Jamaica.

See too

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