Ackee— National Fruit of Jamaica

Ackee season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak times January to March, June to August.

This is the key ingredient in Jamaica’s national dish ackee and saltfish. The edible part of the fruit is the buttery, yellow, once it is cleaned of its pink membrane. Ackee becomes safe to eat after its outer red skin opens naturally, and the inner pods are stripped of its black seeds. 

Mango

Mango season in Jamaica: April to September; peak time in May and June.

Jamaica’s mango diversity and colourful (sometimes tickling) names are impressive. The beloved fruit has peelable, velvety flesh. Orange nectar can often be seen dripping down hands and chins without a care. This tropical treasure reigns supreme in the hearts and palates of many Jamaicans.

Pineapple

Pineapple season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak time in May to July.

This tropical fruit is known for its signature golden sweetness. It’s encased within a tough exterior topped by a spiny crown. Pineapple has long been a beloved icon and is even included on Jamaica’s Coat of Arms. Widely enjoyed on its own or with culinary creations– think glazed Christmas ham and pine & ginger drink! 

Otaheite Apple

Otaheite Apple season in Jamaica: February to April, June to July.

This juicy fruit is different from a common apple. Thin, ruby-red skin covers a white flesh that springs mild sweetness when bitten into.

Star Apple

Star Apple season in Jamaica: November to March.

This round fruit has smooth, purplish or green skin. It gets its name from a star-shaped pattern revealed in the pulp when sliced crosswise.

Mammee / Mamey Apple

Mammee Apple season in Jamaica: July to October.

I never knew mammee apple existed until stopping at a fruit stall in Norwich, Portland.  This apricot-like fruit is mostly grown on the eastern side of the island. A brown, thick skin has to peeled away for the sour-sweet pulp.

Roseapple

Roseapple season in Jamaica: Random throughout the year.

Roseapples are sweetly crisp. Tiny, yellow/green fruit that kinda resembles guava. It captivates with a signature rosy fragrance and flavour, even with a mostly-hollow inside. Mostly grows in the countryside and near streams.

Custard Apple / Cherimoya

Custard Apple season in Jamaica: March.

A heart-shaped fruit with mildly-sweet pulp. The similarities on the custard-like inside are probably why some Jamaicans also refer to a sweetsop as ‘custard apple’.

.Sweet Sop / Sugar Apple

Sweet Sop season in Jamaica: April to September.

The armoured fruit has a segmented outer layer. If the shape mimics a pine cone’s, it’s ready to be picked. Inside is a creamy, custard-like pulp over black seeds. Sweet sop’s candied taste and size inspired the ‘sugar apple’ alias. Some know it as ‘custard apple’

Soursop 

Soursop season in Jamaica: November to March.

This is a delightful contradiction from its name’s tart description. Prickly, green skin is opened to reveal soft pulp dotted with black seeds. Soursop is favoured by many as a homestyle beverage, mixed with a splash of lime juice or milk.

Jackfruit 

Jackfruit season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak time June to August.

Being the world’s heaviest fruit to grow on trees makes jackfruit hard to miss! Its distinctive aroma can leave people very excited, or repulsed. Textured skin covers peelaway pods with a mild sweet taste. Unripe jackfruit thrives in Jamaica as a meat substitute–  especially with ital (vegan/pescatarian) dishes.

Guinep

Guinep season in Jamaica: June to August.

Tiny, circular summer favourites! Guineps are often gathered in bunches with tied stems. Breaking open their green skins reveal fleshy pink sweets, ready to be bitten off the seeds.

Lychee / Chinese Guinep 

Lychee season in Jamaica: Irregular; May to July.

A favourite fruit season of many Jamaicans! Lychee is a small oval with tough, pinkish skin. Inside is a sweet and juicy, off-white flesh covering its seed. Lychee trees bear irregularly, making it highly coveted when in season.

Rambutan 

Rambutan season in Jamaica: December.

Described as a ‘hairy lychee fruit’. Rambutans are split open to suck the inner jelly-like pulp from its core. It has a similar taste and flesh to its elusive fruit relative.

Naseberry / Sapodilla

Naseberry season in Jamaica: March to May.

Those unfamiliar with Naseberry could mistake it for a dried out seed. It may look unassuming, but a sweet and earthy flavour lies in this soft fruit. It can be found throughout the Jamaican landscape thanks to its tree’s ability to bear in various conditions.

Tamarind / Tambrin 

Tamarind season in Jamaica: January to March.

Tamarind has a characteristic sharpness with a hint of sweet. Brittle, brown shell pods breakaway to grant pulling the tart stickiness off of seeds. Many like it rolled with sugar into tamarind ball treats— a candied favourite of all generations.

Guava 

Guava season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak time June to August.

This entire fruit is an edible blend of tang and sweetness. Guava’s bold flavour makes it a coveted key ingredient in many culinary creations, including jams, jellies and sauces. The skin changes from green to yellow as it ripens. It has a pink interior dotted with tiny seeds.

Coconut 

Coconut season in Jamaica: Year-round.

If you ever wondered, YEP! Coconuts are fruits. They can be harvested at both young and mature stages. Green (young) coconut can be super refreshing as an ice-cold drink to “wash off (clean) yuh heart” on a warm day. Some want one chopped open afterwards to scoop up its nutritious jelly. Brown (mature) coconut inner flesh is firmer. A cherished staple in many homestyle Jamaican recipes– think of coconut milk in a rich-tasting rice and peas, gizzada’s sugary pink filling, and coco-filled cocktails!

 Passion Fruit 

Passion Fruit season in Jamaica: January to March, August to November.

Passion fruit is cut crosswise to get to its seedy sweet-tart pulp. It’s round and yellow / dark-purple when ripe with a standout flavour in drinks, confectioneries and spreads.

Pomegranate / Panganot 

Pomegranate season in Jamaica: September to November. 

One of pomegranate’s distinctive features is its hard, leathery rind. The juicy, purplish/pink pulp and edible seeds taste tart. Hearing “panganot” may sound confusing beyond 1st-generation Jamaicans. That pronunciation just tastes a lil’ sweeter to a native patois tongue!

Watermelon 

Watermelon season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak time May to July.

Most of Jamaica’s watermelon production comes from neighbouring southern parishes of St. Elizabeth and Manchester. The large fruit is chopped open for its signature-pink or yellow seedy core. Sinking teeth into its soft slices can release a mild sweet juice, sometimes too mild.

Cantaloupe 

Cantaloupe season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak time June to October.

A large melon with a sweet inner flesh. Most popular in southern parishes like St. Elizabeth and Manchester. Though available throughout the year, it’s at its juiciest in Jamaica during peak time.

. The large fruit is chopped open for its signature-pink or yellow seedy core. Sinking teeth into its soft slices can release a mild sweet juice, sometimes too mild.

Grapefruit 

Grapefruit season in Jamaica: Year-round.

This tangy, softball-sized citrus is a hybrid of an orange and a pomelo. It is more tart and bitter than an orange. The redder the flesh is the sweeter it’s believed to be. Ting– a crisp, grapefruit-flavoured Jamaican soft drink– is a refreshing way to enjoy the flavour.

Jamaican Orange 

Orange season in Jamaica: October to June.

In Jamaica, the skin of orange isn’t usually the bright colour of its namesake. Interestingly, Jamaican oranges are often yellow-green on the outside. One ready to be eaten is halved then scraped from an outer pith bowl. It’s the most popular and produced citrus fruit on the island. Top places to find them are in St. Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester and St. Mary.

Tangerine 

Tangerine season in Jamaica: November to February.

Thankfully for tangerine lovers, the rind peels away easily. It’s a snackable fruit with juicy pegs bursting with tangy flavour. Sectioned orange pieces netted with a stringy coat are pulled apart and popped whole into the mouth.

Ortanique 

Ortanique season in Jamaica: September to January.

Ortanique (orange-tangerine-unique) is a hybrid Jamaican fruit. Flatter and juicier than orange but with tangerine-like skin that’s thicker and easy to peel. It surfaced in the early 1900s from cross-pollination of an orange and a tangerine in the southern parish of Manchester.

Ugli fruit / Jamaican Tangelo / Uniq Fruit 

Ugli Fruit season in Jamaica: December to April.

Ugli is a Jamaican fruit hybrid of grapefruit, orange, and tangerine. It bears similarities of each, but differs from them in shape and size. It has a bumpy and wrinkled rind cover. Inside are plump, tangerine-like pegs with a tangy nectar. Ugli fruit originated around 1917 in St. Ann parish, Jamaica.

Dragon Fruit 

Dragon Fruit season in Jamaica: June to August.

A spiky, exotic fruit that can grow from cacti. When ripe, dragon fruit has a subtle sweetness but can otherwise be flavourless, similar to watermelon. Characterized by a bright exterior and speckled flesh of tiny, edible seeds.

Strawberry 

Strawberry season in Jamaica: December to May.

Many don’t know that strawberries are grown in Jamaica. That’s because they are only grown in cool subclimates at elevated levels, just like Jamaica’s prized coffee. These premium ruby-red faves are patterned with edible outer seeds. Though most strawberries on the island are imported, Jamaican strawberries are said to be sweeter and longer-lasting. They’ve been reportedly produced in mountainous areas of St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Manchester, Trelawny and St. Mary.

Wild Berries 

Many types of berries are available year-round, with some being their sweetest in summer. The red/deep-purple mulberry and yellow cheeseberry are a couple of better-known local ones. There are some wild berries native to Jamaica, including 4 raspberry species and 1 blackberry specie. They tend to thrive in higher elevations– like the Blue Mountains— which grant many hikers a natural snack on the go.

Plums

Plums in Jamaica come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavours. Examples range from the tart and tangy coolie plum to the earthy hog plum! Just like Jamaican mangoes, the type and names can vary from area to area.

June Plum / “JeW Plum” 

June Plum season in Jamaica: May to January; peak time October to November.

Had to single out this plum favourite! Like the coconut, it can be eaten at different stages of maturity. Sour-sweet yellow (ripe) june plums are savoured as is, maybe with a little salt/sugar. Green (unripe) ones are enjoyed with salt and/or black pepper. Ironically, june plum’s peak season isn’t during June.

Jamaican Cherry / West Indian Cherry 

Cherry season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak time around May to October.

The Jamaican cherry is smaller and sweeter than imported ones! Tiny, sweet-tart orbs grow on shrubby ornamental trees. They are picked from skinny branches or gathered from fallen fruit.

Grapes 

Grapes season in Jamaica: April to July; can vary depending on farming practices.

Purplish/yellow-green, thin-skinned bunches usually don’t thrive in hot and humid weather. Grapes are cultivated in Jamaica on a small scale in areas like St.Catherine, St.Thomas, St.Andrew and St. Ann.

Sea Grapes 

Sea Grapes season in Jamaica: March to October.

These grapes are sweet-sour and taste different from commercial grapes. Sea grapes grow along sandy coasts. When ripening, the bunches turn from green to purplish. There’s misinformation about sea grapes being ornamental only and poisonous, but are safe to eat when ripe. 

Star Fruit / Chinese Jimbilin 

Star Fruit season in Jamaica: June to February.

A mix of sweet and tangy, it’s a munchable snack that often garnishes tropical salads, cocktails, and desserts. It is shaped like a point-star when sliced. Some people call star fruit ‘jimbilin’, which may cause confusion with another Jamaican fruit that also has that name.

Jimbilin 

Jimbilin season in Jamaica: February to May.

These grow in clusters on a shrubby tree. Depending which area you’re in, ‘jimbilin’ could be referring to 2 different Jamaican fruits. It could be these tart, yellow gooseberries or another name for star fruit. 

Stinking Toe / West Indian Locust 

Stinking Toe season in Jamaica: April to June.

This tickling name comes from the fruit’s pod– shaped like a big toe– and smell. Inside it lies a powdery, sweet pulp that’s rich with nutrients.

Papaya / Paw Paw 

Papaya season in Jamaica: May to September.

It’s a tropical fruit favourite for breakfast and smoothies, including at accommodations that offer Jamaican fruit selections. Juicy orange flesh lines round, black seeds in the centre. The mild sweetness and firm softness make it easy to scoop or bite into. Papaya is mostly produced in St. Elizabeth, Trelawny, St. Mary and St. Catherine.

Chayote / Cho Cho 

Chayote season in Jamaica: Year-round.

Many don’t realize that chayote is a fruit, not a vegetable. The squash-like delicacy has a mild flavour that’s often incorporated in savoury dishes like soups and stews. It looks like a small [common/European] pear but with rough, wrinkled skin.

Tomato 

Tomato season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak time January to April.

Many don’t realize tomato is a fruit because it’s consumed like a vegetable. Tomatoes are ripe when changed from green to their signature red, with all grooves filled. In Jamaica it is often served in salads, sandwiches, and with favourite dishes– in little chunks or slices.

Avocado / Jamaican Pear 

Avocado season in Jamaica: August to December.

If a Jamaican is referring to a ‘pear’, they’re likely talking about this superfood. Avocado is a medium, pear-shaped fruit with a mild buttery mesocarp surrounding a round seed. For many, avocado slices complete a hearty Jamaican meal, and its spread complements spiced bulla or bread.

Breadfruit 

Breadfruit season in Jamaica: Year-round; peak time May to August.

Like a root vegetable, breadfruit takes most of its flavour from what it’s served with. Typically, it is roasted, peeled, cooked then eaten as a side dish. The starchy fruit can be boiled, baked and fried. It can also be a nutritious substitute for bread or potato in recipes.

Noni 

Noni season in Jamaica: Year-round.

Known as a superfruit, noni is renowned for its health benefits. The most common way to consume this odd-looking fruit is as wine when overripe. Its bitter taste and offputing odour deters some.

Jamaican Almond 

Almond season in Jamaica: Year-round.

This may blow your mind, but almonds aren’t true nuts; they’re seeds of a drupe fruit. The tropical Jamaican almond is different from the almond you may know. It’s bigger, harder, and has to be cracked away from its skin. The flesh is edible, ripe and unripe. The almond seed is exposed once the fruit splits as it ripens.

Banana 

Banana season in Jamaica: Year-round

In the 1890s bananas became Jamaica’s principal agricultural export for many years– which led to an economic landscape shift in historic Falmouth. Jamaica was the 1st country in the Western Hemisphere to commercially produce bananas. They are widely enjoyed ripe, green and boiled, and as snackable chips.

Plantain 

Plantain season in Jamaica: Year-round.

A starchy fruit that looks similar to a banana, but longer and straighter. It becomes orange (and sweet) when ripe. Whether ripe or green– fried, baked, boiled or roasted– plantains are a staple in Jamaican cuisine. They’re peeled, cut, and prepared for breakfast/ lunch/ dinner, or in-between meals. A favourite dish of many Jamaican families!

West Indian / Key Lime 

Lime season in Jamaica: Year-round. 

A lime is a small, sharp-tasting fruit. Green is its signature colour, but key limes become yellow when ripe. Lime juice is commonly used by Jamaicans to add zest to drinks, clean meat, remove stains, and relieve ailments.

Lemon 

Lemon season in Jamaica: Year-round.

A refreshing tropical lemonade starts with this medium, yellow citrus. In Jamaica, lemon juice is sometimes used to aid cleaning.

Cocoa / Cacao 

Cocoa season in Jamaica: October to February, May to July.

Jamaica ranks among the most premium cocoa producers worldwide. It’s 1/17 recognized producers of the fine or flavoured type. Did you know chocolate is made from cacao fruit? Its inner pod beans are subtly sweet and nutty (don’t taste like chocolate FYI). It’s great for making cocoa tea– a favourite breakfast and Christmas-time beverage for Jamaicans.

Cashew Apple 

Cashew season in Jamaica: May.

You may be surprised to learn that cashews grow on trees. A cashew apple is soft and juicy, and at the end is the kidney-shaped nut. The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, and made into beverages. Cashew nuts have to be roasted. In Jamaica, they’re more common in rural areas.

Bilimbi / Blim blim / Souri Fruit / Sour Barge 

Bilimbi season in Jamaica: Year-round.

A very sour fruit shaped like a small cucumber; not usually eaten raw. Its sourness is best enjoyed in cooking or in a pickled, juiced, or saucy state.