When it comes to my series, I absolutely never choose favorites. There are so many delicious recipes to choose from and it gets harder and harder the longer the series goes. My toasts from across the world series, for example, has more than 40 amazing toast options. How could you possibly choose between all of the unique combinations and flavors? Although it’s impossible to pick a number one favorite, this recipe is definitely up there.  

This Jamaican toast recipe is courtesy of Alecia, who’s family frequently enjoys this Ackee Toast for breakfast. The toast is a spicy mixture of tomato, onion, garlic, sweet peppers, Scotch Bonnet peppers, and ackee. A savory fruit, ackee just happens to be the national fruit of Jamaica and is frequently used in the national dish of Jamaica – Ackee and saltfish. I was lucky enough to try ackee and saltfish a while ago as part of my breakfast series and fell in love with the texture and flavors. So seeing this Ackee and Toast recipe had me more than a little excited.  

Today ackee is pretty synonymous with Jamaica, but it’s actually not Jamaican at all. In the 17th century, slaves from West Africa brought the fruit over to Jamaica, where it slowly became part of the local culture. When cooked in dishes, the fruit takes on a delicate and soft texture that’s almost like scrambled eggs. This texture is a perfect pairing for a breakfast toast.  

Even though ackee and saltfish is nationally popular, its toast counterpart is a unique part of Alecia’s family’s recipes. On the rare occasion that they have leftover ackee from a dinner or breakfast, they mix it together with the onions and peppers and serve on toast. If you’re interested, you can also add some saltfish or salted cod to your ackee toast. However, if you’re vegan like Alyssia, you can absolutely skip this step. Honestly, this toast is a great vegan option because of all the fresh ingredients it uses and the scrambled egg-like texture that the ackee mimics.  

Whether you’re vegan or not, eating this for breakfast or dinner, using fresh ackee or canned like me, this ackee toast is a great salty, savory, and spicy toast option.