7 Foods You Won't Believe Are Illegal In The US (And Why)

Despite looking like a consumable from a Nintendo game, the ackee fruit is the national fruit of Jamaica. It's a versatile food that can be used in soups or eaten alongside rice, however if you want something sweeter, it's also frequently used in cakes and custards. It's rare to find a fruit that's both savoury and sweet, and sadly if you're in America, you'll need to find something else.

You can buy this fruit if it's frozen or canned, but if you're hoping to get your hands on some raw ackee, then you'd better jump on a plane to Jamaica. This is due to the fruits high levels of hypoglycin A when in its unripe form. If eaten in this state, the fruit can cause a person's blood sugar to drop and can cause hyperglycaemia, leading to vomiting, dehydration and in some cases, death.

Naturally, the FDA placed a ban on this fruit in 1973, and although it might be sad that Americans can't try cooking the fruit themselves, it seems like a small price to pay for staying alive.