Tag Archives: tropical fruit

Grown in DR

Árbol de Seso

Árbol de Seso

Árbol de Seso (Seso or Ackee) is an interesting and tasty exotic tropical fruit. It is sweet when cooked and very toxic if eaten raw or unripe. This pear-shaped fruit is the national fruit of Jamaica and grows in many of the tropical and Caribbean countries including the Dominican Republic.

The fruit and flowers of the Árbol de Seso an exotic tropical fruit tree
The fruit and flowers of the Árbol de Seso an exotic tropical fruit tree


 

Fruit and Tree With Many Names

The scientific name is Blighia sapida. This fruit is also known as Ankye, Ackee Apple, Seso Vegetal, Cerebro Vegetal, Palo de Seso, Huevo Vegetal, Fruta del Huevo, Pera Roja, Arbre à Fricassée, Jakí, Kaha and many other names. In Dominican Republic the name is Fruta al Cerebro, or Seso because the fruit looks like a brain.

Árbol de Seso an exotic tropical fruit tree
Árbol de Seso an exotic tropical fruit tree.

The Tree, Flowers and Fruit

The evergreen ackee tree can grow to around 10 meters / 32 feet in height. The leaves are oblong, leathery and shiny and grow fan or feather-like with about 6 to 8 leaves in a group.

Árbol de Seso tree produces unisexual flowers. This means the flowers on the same tree have either male or female parts and need to be cross pollinated. These flowers are white to light green and are very fragrant.

Ackee fruit usually has 3 lobes (sometimes 2 – 4 ) that turn from green to bright red as it ripens. The fruit, to me, has a waxy, almost plastic fruit look. The fruit is very toxic before it is completely ripe. When the fruit ripens it splits open revealing 3 (2 – 4 depending on how many lobes it has) sections each with a shiny black seed at the end. The fruit or meat inside is soft and spongy and almost looks like a brain. This fruit contains proteins, minerals and vitamins and a high amount of Vitamin C.

The ripe open Fruta al Cerebro an exotic tropical fruit
The ripe open Fruta al Cerebro an exotic tropical fruit


 

Prepare, Eat and Uses for Ackee

After the ackee fruit is ripe and splits open the fruit inside is removed. The shiny black seeds, which are toxic, need to be discarded along with the fruit husk. The creamy white fruit must be separated from the membrane. Then the creamy off-white brain looking fruit needs to be gently boiled either in salted water or milk. Boil it for about a half hour to rid the fruit of toxins. This boiled fruit can then be sauteed in butter or added to many different fish and vegetable dishes. The flavor is slightly sweet and nutty, almost like a raw pea.

There are many ackee recipes available on the internet. Search for ackee recipes and check it out.

Ackee ripe fruit, leaves and bark have been used to make folk medicine in the treatment of colds, fever, water retention, and epilepsy. The fragrant flower is used to make perfumes. The hard and durable wood of the ackee tree is used in construction, pilings, oars, paddles and casks.

The ripe open Fruta al Cerebro hanging in the green canopy of the Árbol de Seso
The ripe open Fruta al Cerebro hanging in the green canopy of the Árbol de Seso


 

Toxic

Ackee fruit is highly toxic and can be lethal. It contains a poison called Hypoglycin A, especially if it is not ripe or prepared correctly. Ingesting could cause vomiting, seizures, coma that could end in death.

When the fruit is ripe and properly boiled, the poison dissipates.

“Ackee contains high levels of the toxin hypoglycin A, which disrupts blood glucose production and increases the risk of hypoglycemia. Left unchecked, hypoglycemia can lead to coma and even death. Thus, the importation of raw fruit has been banned by the FDA since 1973. However, the fruit may still be purchased in canned and frozen forms.” https://www.mdlinx.com/article/6-surprising-foods-you-didn-and-8217-t-know-were-banned-in-the-us/57s3MRFCfVZNTaPGI0JVcn

Reference https://marilynperalta.com/2018/07/01/arbol-de-seso-vegetal/


 

Grown in DR

Jina Fruit

Gina Tree And Fruit

Jina, also spelled Gina, is a tropical fruit tree that attracts birds of all types with its lush green cover and its sweet curly fruit. Humans, birds and honeybees are attracted to the interesting twisting seed filled sweet and fleshy fruit. The tropical fruit is a must try tropical pleasure that not many people ever get to enjoy.

A Jina Tree (Guamúchil, Guamá Americano) located in Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic.
A Jina Tree (Guamúchil, Guamá Americano) located in Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic.

The tree is a medium-sized, fast-growing tree species belonging to the genus Pithecellobium of the legume family. It is native to the American tropics, Mexico, Central and South America. It is an ornamental tree, with its small lightly perfumed flowers, that is also used for firewood and for the fruit. Since it is fast-growing it is perfect for reforestation.

A Jina Fruit with a dry seed pod, Dominican Republic.
A Jina Fruit with a dry seed pod, Dominican Republic.

The Fruit

The tree produces curling seed pods. These pods are first green and change to a reddish or pink color when the fruit is at its sweetest. You will know when the fruit is ripe when you hear the sounds of the birds chirping and squawking as they feast on the fruits. The fruit especially draws parrots (cotorras), woodpeckers (pájaro carpintero), nightingales (ruiseñor), sparrows (gorrión) and some migratory birds. Creatures including lizards come to enjoy the insects that hide in the spiny leaves of the tree while honey bees enjoy the taste of the sweet flowers the tree produces.

The Jina (Inga fagifolia) Tree produces curling seed pods that hold sweet fruit.
The Jina (Inga fagifolia) Tree produces curling seed pods that hold sweet fruit.

After the birds have finished their feast, the open pods will drop to the earth where they turn into a crisp dry pod that is a great fertilizer but also can be messy. The pods crunch under the feet when walking over them.

A Jina Fruit showing the pretty black seeds and fruit inside the curling pod. Dominican Republic.
A Jina Fruit showing the pretty black seeds and fruit inside the curling pod. Dominican Republic.

The scientific name of the tree is Inga fagifolia and is part of the legume or pea family. It has many names in different countries including Guamúchil, gallinero, pinzán, chiminango, gina or jina, guamá americano (Puerto Rico), jina (Dominicam Republic), guamúchil, also known as “Espina de Madrás” (Mexico) or payandé (Pithecellobium dulce). The term “guamaras” refers to the fruit.

Interesting facts about the tree and fruit:

*In Dominican Republic it was thought that if girls ate the fruit they would develop hormones and pain at a younger age.

*The bark is used as an astringent.

*Some say the leaves can be used to prevent a miscarriage while others say the leaves cause abortions.

*India uses the fruit mixed with sugar and water to make a beverage called agua de guamúchil.

*The seeds are high in protein.

*A wowee story on the Dominican Gringas Blog “Begging Parrots For Jina”

This is an interesting and funny video on YouTube where a man in just in love with jina. Guamuchiles Fruta, Guamá Americano, Pinzán, Chiminango, Gina, Payandé, Yacure.

References:
*eldia.com.do/gina-arbol
*wikipedia.org/wiki/Pithecellobium_dulce