Ackee and Saltfish

Jamaica (West African ackee brought to the Caribbean; saltfish from colonial trade)

Ackee and saltfish is Jamaica's national dish — sautéed desalted salt cod combined with ackee (the national fruit, Blighia sapida), onions, scotch bonnet, thyme, sweet peppers, and tomato. Ackee's yellow, buttery lobes look and taste like scrambled egg; their mild, fatty character absorbs the salt cod's intensity while the tomato and onion soften both. The ackee must be fully ripe (the pod must have opened naturally on the tree) — unripe ackee contains hypoglycin A, a toxin that causes Jamaican vomiting sickness. Canned ackee, packed in brine and pre-cooked, is safe and widely used. The saltfish must be desalted by soaking and boiling before cooking — the residual salt level after proper preparation provides the seasoning for the entire dish.

• The combination of preserved fish with a cooked fruit mirrors West African kontomire stew and Salt cod preparations across the Caribbean and southern Europe; the ackee's egg-like character creates a parallel with Italian baccalà mantecato in its creamy salt cod preparation.

Fried dumplings, boiled green banana, fried plantain, and hard dough bread are the traditional accompaniments for a full Jamaican breakfast; the combination is too assertive for wine but pairs naturally with strong Jamaican coffee.