Saturday, January 7, 2012

Like Chocolate

During my recent trip to Benin I was really amazed to see shea butter trees. I have bought shea butter many times but never visited a place where it actually grows. Shea butter is sold across Africa, usually in the form of an enormous, yellow mountain. The vendor uses a big knife to cut off the amount that the customer wants to buy. The shea butter has a strong, not entirely pleasant smell.


I was intrigued to watch a woman pound the butter in it's natural state. I was surprised to see that it looked, smelled, and even tasted like chocolate. I had no idea!






The butter is pounded until smooth and then it is boiled until it separates. The final product is a light, soft, yellow cream. Locally, it seemed to be primarily used in cooking as the oil in sauces, etc. It is also used on the outside of houses to keep the walls strong and water proof. Of course it is also used as a skin cream and hair treatment. I bought about a pound of it at the market for less than a dollar. It was wrapped in leaves, soaked in water, and rolled into little balls. Luxurious! I will definitely not be using this precious cream in my cooking!


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