Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer
Left: This patron at the Ackee Festival puts all his effort into devouring a meal of festival, ackee and saltfish. Center: This ackee corn bread demonstrates the versatility of ackees. Right: One of the ackee pies displayed at this year's Ackee Festival in Linstead, St. Catherine. - Photos by Rasbert Turner
Hundreds of ackee lovers flocked the Linstead School grounds in St. Catherine on Emancipation Day to attend the second Linstead Ackee Show and Festival.
Food visited the location about noon to find a small trickling of patrons gradually making their way to the area. While the numbers were small, it did not blunt the creative edge of the several exhibitors.
Their displays came in the form of ackee and pork, ackee pie, ackee patties, ackee and red herring, ackee soup, ackee stuffed fish, ackee and corn bread, ackee punch and ackee stew. Several patrons also enquired of ackee pudding and ackee porridge and were told that next year those would be considered.
While there was a wide array of ackee products, several persons expressed the view that the national fruit was not represented as it ought to have been.
"I think that there should be more displays of ackee in it is true form and one could really appreciate the festival better, and persons should be singing the popular folk song Carry mi Ackee Go a Linstead Market. Things like that would be better," said Michelle, a patron.
All in all, persons reported that they enjoyed the festival and the better weather conditions this year.
Several groups, church co-operatives, Lions Club, Supreme Ventures, the Scientific Research Council, and several others participated. The day's activities climaxed with a concert, headlined by Ras Gandhi and Joan Flemmings.
Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke was this year's patron.
