One ackee, seven pegs

Vernal Spence, a craftsman of Kencot, St Andrew, visited the offices of THE STAR on Saturday to showcase an ackee pod bearing a total of seven pegs, instead of the usual three.

"A just father God blessing, enuh!" he beamed, as he told THE STAR that the same tree bore an ackee pod with four pegs last year.

The 57-year-old said the original ackee tree, which was in his yard, had burnt down some time ago, and the new tree sprang from it, bearing the unusual pods.

After leaving THE STAR's offices, Spence said he whipped up a delicious meal of ackee and saltfish later in the evening.

Despite the size of the fruit, he said he did not share it with anyone, explaining, "Me cook it with quarter pounds of salt fish and me alone eat it. It was a one man dinner."