The next instalment of 'Jamaica... Land I Love' will be up tomorrow, but there is something that I need to get squared away before we move away from food and get to talking about the 'colourful' nature of our people. (Yes. That is where I am going next) :)
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Since the majority of known readers of this weblog do not reside in Jamaica, I totally understand that there could be a bit of confusion when I declare the image to the right to be a meatloaf.
In Jamaica, meat that is encased in a thin pocket of bread dough is called a meatloaf not 'meat et al' that has been shaped to resemble a loaf of bread.
This may be strange to some... but - alas - 'tis true.
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I also understand that there are those who may be more than a bit puzzled when I declare the image on the left to be a patty.
You see... in Jamaica, highly-seasoned meat (sometimes vegetable or ackees) encased in flaky pastry - not a burger - equals a patty.
This may be a strange new thing to you (or not)... but it is - nevertheless - very true.
What I do not understand is why any self-respecting cooking show host or food blogger would liken the taste of our national fruit to scrambled eggs and proceed to teach others how to 'make a healthy version' out of tofu.
I think something in my brain popped when I heard it for the first time; and - when I saw it in black letters on my computer screen - I may have hung my head for a moment of silence.
Here is the much-maligned and misunderstood ackee - Jamaica's national fruit - and this is the 'skinny' on ackee from the goodly lecturers at the University of the West Indies.
Please allow me to set the record straight for those who may have seen 'mock ackee' recipes floating around:
- Ackee does not taste even slightly like scrambled eggs (although the colour is similar). If you have seen ackee that looks that much like mush, the ackee is not at fault... the cook is.
- There is no more a need for a 'mock ackee' than there is for a 'imitation avocado'... the fat content is in the same ballpark.
So, for the sake of all that is noble and good, do not degrade our national dish in the name of health. Feel free to omit the codfish - as I do - and enjoy the ackee on its own merit, or eat your scrambled tofu and call it what it is..... scrambled tofu.
But please do not, under any circumstances, malign a perfectly fine specimen of God's creation. Amen.
On behalf of the humble ackee, and every ackee-loving Jamaican out there, I thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart.
