3. Ackee, Jamaica’s national fruit
The ackee is a tree from West Africa whose fruit is similar to the lychee but is not edible. In fact, only the fleshy petiolate part is edible because the seeds and the rest of the fruit contain two toxins. The fruits are only harvested when they are ripe, i.e. when they open naturally. It should be eaten quickly because if it is too ripe or too green, it can cause vomiting and hypoglycemia. If you travel to Jamaica, try salt cod, a typical Jamaican dish that is eaten mainly at breakfast. For the record, this fruit is one of the main ingredients in Antillean cuisine.
4. Blood clams, a contaminated mollusc
This mollusc is found in the Chinese sea and must be eaten with caution. Clams that live one metre deep in sand or mud are infected with many bacteria, such as hepatitis A and E, typhoid and dysentery, because they do not have enough oxygen. Don’t accidentally eat them raw!
