Butyrospermum parkii

Taxobox
name = Shea
status = VU
status_system = iucn2.3


image_width = 240px
image_caption = Shea nuts
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Ericales
familia = Sapotaceae
genus = "Butyrospermum "
species = "V. parkii"
binomial = "Butyrospermum parkii"
binomial_authority = Kotschy
synonyms = "Butyrospermum paradoxa""Vitellaria paradoxa"

"Butyrospermum parkii", Shea or Shea nut, (syn. "Vitellaria paradoxa", "B. paradoxa") is a tree indigenous to Africa, occurring in Mali, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Uganda. The shea fruit consists of a thin, tart, nutritious pulp that surrounds a relatively large, oil-rich seed from which is extracted shea butter.

A traditional food plant in Africa, this little-known vegetable has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare. [cite book |authorlink= |author=National Research Council |editor= |others= |title=Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables |origdate= |url=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11763 |format= |accessdate=2008-07-15 |edition= |series=Lost Crops of Africa |volume=2 |date=2006-10-27 |publisher=National Academies Press |location= |isbn=978-0-309-10333-6 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter=Shea |chapterurl=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11763&page=303 |quote= |ref= ]

A number of steps are required to process the seed and obtain shea butter. First, the outer pulp is removed. Second, the shea nut is shelled; historically, shelling is done by mortar and pestle or by crushing the shell with stones; however, the Universal Nut Sheller is an appropriate technology that reduces a significant amount of labor involved in shelling shea. Once shelled, the seed is then roasted and either ground down or pressed to extract the oils that make shea butter.

Uses

In the West, shea is most often associated with cosmetics. This "butter" has many uses and may or may not be refined. The refining version may be extracted with chemicals such as hexane or use clay filtering. Throughout Africa it is used extensively for food and medicinal purposes, and is major dietary source of dietary fat.

Etymology

Some common names are "shítoulou" ("shea butter tree") in the Bamana and Malinke languages of Mali and "ghariti" in the Wolof language of Senegal. The latter is the origin of the French name of the tree and its butter, "karité". The first is the origin of the English word, and is correctly pronounced "shee" to rhyme with another e-a containing word, "tea"; "shay" means "chicken" in Bambara and the other Manding languages of West Africa.

The tree is perhaps better known as "Butyrospermum parkii" (the genus name meaning "butter seed"; the epithet honouring Mungo Park, who learned of the tree while exploring Senegal). However, "Vitellaria paradoxa" is the earlier name and has priority, and should therefore be used (a proposal to conserve "Butyrospermum parkii" failed narrowly).

Shea trees take approximately 31 years to reach maturity.

References

External links

*cite web
url=http://www.sheabutter.net/hiofshbu.html
title=A History of Shea Butter
*cite web
url=http://www.fullbellyproject.org
title=Machine to shell shea
* [http://www.westafricanplants.senckenberg.de/root/index.php?page_id=14&id=1659 Vitellaria paradoxa] in Brunken, U., Schmidt, M., Dressler, S., Janssen, T., Thombiano, A. & Zizka, G. 2008. West African plants - A Photo Guide. Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt/Main.