In our last post, you learned about the difference between Refined vs Unrefined Shea Butter. Today, we will discuss Shea Fruit.
Question: Where will you find one of the world’s most delicious fruits?
Answer: Northern Ghana. And yes, of course we’re talking about the Shea Fruit, the plump greenish-yellow edible delight – tasty, delicate and yummy – which people say is like a taste of heaven. Of course, for making butter it is the pit inside that we need, so what happens to the fruit? Does it just get cast aside? No way!
The Shea Fruit heralds the end of the dry season, with the land turning green once more and farming getting going in earnest. For months people will have been patiently watching the trees, waiting for the small flower which eventually grows into the delicious fruit. Young and old, birds, animals and insects – all enjoy this gift from nature – and there’s even some money to be made! During the season you will see people, often children, selling small bags and baskets of Shea Fruit along the roadside. And any fruit that gets overlooked during the short harvest simply rejuvenates the soil beneath the tree. What a sweet and lovely start to the season of abundance, and to the process that ends in lovely, handmade Baraka Shea Butter.