What Is Guinep?

So you’re driving around Barbados, enjoying the scenery, the lush green cane fields in the country with rolling hills, on the seacoast the smell of the ocean and the pounding waves along the beaches, the hustle and bustle of private and public transportation but most of all that sunlight and breeze that brings a warm smile on your face, and you breathe, “yeah mon”, island life is sweet. It’s summertime and you see a group of young boys by the roadside calling out “Bajan Ackee for sale!”, it looks like a cluster of grapes. Being the adventurer you are, (you see this as an opportunity to experience Bajan culture) you stop to investigate, handing over $5 BDS for a bag, you wonder, what is this Bajan Ackee? Upon closer look, you find it is not grapes as the skin is hard. One of the boys demonstrates, and in removing the skin you find an orange — yellowish pulp, you throw caution to the wind and you pop it in your mouth and begin to suck. Wow! you are surprised by the lemonish, lychee flavor of this fruit and what remains is a white round seed the size of a jawbreaker.

Well, my fellow adventurer, what you just eaten was Bajan Ackee, or the most common name within the Caribbean Guinep. It is also known as Spanish Lime and Skinip and it is a fruit you will find on the roadside or trails of Barbados that is enjoyed throughout the summer. The fruit has a green skin that must be peeled to get to the edible orange or yellowish pulp that is wrapped around a big seed. The fruit is sweet and acidic, some people say it tastes like lychee, but to me it tastes similar to a lime. The fruit is family to the Sapindacea, the tree fruit bears in clusters. You can find Guinep all over the Latin America and the Caribbean and even South Africa as it grows in a subtropical environment.

Edible Guinep Fruit Pulp

This fruit is a great snack if you’re on a road trip or if you are just hiking the many trails that Barbados has to offer and just need a on the go healthy fruit snack. It is mostly eaten raw, and can be used in making jams, jellies, and juices.

My Guinep Juice Recipe:

Ingredients

• 4- 5 lb of guinep
• 1 piece of crushed ginger
• 1 litre of water
• 1 lime
• Sweetener of your choice (use your favorite sweetener. I use agave, if you use brown sugar the color of the juice will change).

Instructions:

1. The first thing you need to do is remove the skin from the guinep and place it in a bowl. This can be done using a pair knife, but I use the butter knife for safety.
2. Boil water and pour onto the guinep and cover. Let it sit for 10–20 mins, so that the pulp can loosen from the seed.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly and rub the pulp off the guinep seeds and place into a blender. Toss the seeds in the garbage or place in a zip lock bag to be used later.
4. Add lime, crushed ginger and sweetener to the blender. Blend until it reaches the consistency desired.
5. Pour in a glass with crushed ice and enjoy.

Benefits of Guinep:

• Contains Vitamin A which is good for the immune system and promotes healthy eyes even in low light areas.
• Contains Vitamin C which is important for skin health and the repairing of your body tissue.
• Helps in weight loss as it has zero calories, low in fat and can lower cholesterol.
• Has Amino Acids which helps to lower blood pressure.
• Promote good sleep as it contains Tryptophan and can help with anxiety and mood swings.
• Has calcium which is good for bones and teeth.
• Fiber which is good for digestion and can aid diarrhea and constipation.
• Antioxidants like Phenolic which can prevent cardiovascular disease.

Interesting Facts About The Seed:

Instead of discarding the seeds, they can be used in many food preparations. In South America the seeds are used as a substitute for cassava flour. This can be used as a thickener in stews and gravies, and for baking bread and pastries. The only problem is you will have to gather a lot of seeds in order to make enough flour. In addition, you can roast / bake the seeds and eat them like roasted / baked nuts.

Interesting Facts About the Leaves:

The Guinep Leaves also have health benefits and are used in making old time remedies and tonics. The leaves can also be used to make a tea to help intestinal problems, constipation and stomach pain.

Guinep Tree in Barbados

Caution:

Guinep has a history of safety concerns, especially for young children. As it is known that some children can end up choking on the fruit because of the big seed, so supervision is needed for children. Also avoid eating unripe fruit as it is poisonous.