A Walk by the Well and a Very Lucky Escape
The Morning Discovery
I started my day today with a purpose. Before heading to school for some important business, I took an early morning walk to finally get a good look at that tree I’d rushed past on Tuesday. https://steemit.com/hive-166850/@dreeyor/7dnrcn-today
I found it standing tall right next to a local well, a car was parked right next to it. The red fruits were glowing in the early light, looking incredibly tempting.
Advice from the Experts (The Local Kids)
I was just about to reach for one when a group of kids nearby stopped me. They gave me some "street wisdom" that I later found out is backed by serious science: "Don't pluck it. Wait for it to yawn." They explained that you only eat the creamy covering inside, but only after the fruit opens up on its own. Looking at the size of the outer pod compared to the tiny seeds inside, I was a bit disappointed. It’s a lot of "packaging" for a very small snack!
The Science: Why My Caution Saved Me
I did some digging, and it turns out my hesitation was a "close save." This tree is the Ackee (Blighia sapida), known locally in Nigeria as Ishin.
Here is the scary part: when this fruit is closed (unripe), it is essentially a chemical weapon. It contains a potent toxin called Hypoglycin A. If I had plucked and eaten it today, I wouldn't just be "stuck at home" for two days—I could have faced Jamaican Vomiting Sickness.
Technical Note: Hypoglycin A is a non-protein amino acid that blocks the body's ability to release stored glucose. This leads to severe hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood sugar), repetitive vomiting, and in severe cases, seizures or worse.
A Lesson in Patience
The kids were right—the tree "detoxifies" itself. As the fruit ripens and sunlight hits it, the toxin levels in the edible part (the aril) drop significantly. Only when it "smiles" or "yawns" open is it considered safe to harvest.
Given my past history with local plants, I’m sticking to photography for now. This Ishin tree is beautiful, but I’m not ready to gamble with Hypoglycin A!
References & Scientific Sources:
- Botanical Name: Blighia sapida (Sapindaceae family).
- Toxin Information: StatPearls NCBI - Ackee Fruit Toxicity (Hypoglycin A & B mechanism).
- Clinical Data: FDA Consumer Updates - Hypoglycin A and Ackee Fruit safety guidelines.
- Local Context: ResearchGate - Insights into the phytochemical properties of Blighia sapida in Nigeria.
Very interesting. How come you didn't know? It feels a bit like the cashew nut. It makes me wonder how people figured out it could be consumed under certain circumstances.
It is interesting (although I don't think I can ever eat it with my low tummy endurance )
Even though Ekiti is my origin, I was only here as a kid, so I don't really know much about fruits that grow here. My mum also thought it was cashew, but my landlady (I actually refer to her as my grandma) has a cashew tree behind our house.
I don't know how they figured that out, but someone must've undergone the pain since it's been existing here for years.
(Just remembered that I didn't see this kind of fruit the time I came here as a kid to visit my dad's home town.)
Have a nice day @wakeupkitty
So you didn't eat the fruit? I thought I red you did. I assume eating cashew and this fruit must have been a coincedence. I remember in the old days they only ate fruit that fall off the tree (or you shook the tree). Most likely this fruit is the best. These days I only see unripe fruit, picked to early and it lost all its taste.
I am sorry to hear you have a low tummy endurance.
Lucky you, those kids warned you and didn't watch from a distance how you suffered.
A happy, healty day!
Yeah, I didn't eat the fruit (last time it was a vegetable that got me in the bathroom for almost 24hrs; couldn't take the risk now that I'm in exam period and I'm not sure I'll be able to, after reading those notes online). It has to open on the tree first; if it falls before then, it's relatively useless unless there's something else they use it for. I'm really glad the kids warned me. I'll stick to healthy fruits and veggies I know for now.
A happy and healthy day to you too.
🍀❤️
@wakeupkitty
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