What is the fruit of the baobab tree called?

The tree's fruits are large pods known as 'monkey bread' or 'cream of tartar fruit' and they produce a dry fruit pulp that is highly nutritious [see Baobab Nutrition].

Is the fruit of the baobab tree edible?

Baobab grows throughout Africa, Madagascar and Australia and can be eaten fresh or used to add a punch of flavor and nutrients to desserts, stews, soups and smoothies. However, finding fresh baobab may be challenging in countries where the fruit is not commonly grown.

What comes from a baobab tree?

Baobab Fruit

In fact, every part of the baobab tree is valuable - the bark can be turned into rope and clothing, the seeds can be used to make cosmetic oils, the leaves are edible, the trunks can store water and the fruit is extraordinarily rich in nutrients and antioxidants.

Why is baobab called monkey bread?

Owen 0974:90-91).. for example, reports that "The name ... is related to the habit of monkeys, particularly baboons, relishing the fruit which they either pluck from the tree or pick up from the ground." Dellatola 0983:27) states, "The baobab fruit, commonly known as monkey bread, is a favorite food of baboons, hence ...

What does a baobab fruit taste like?

A ripe baobab fruit has dry, white flesh that tastes like yogurt or tamarind. It has low levels of sweetness and a subtle tang, like a mild lemon. The texture of a baobab's kernels is a unique chalky, dry consistency that may leave a fine flour-like powder coating in your mouth.

The Majestic Baobab Tree | Learn Facts about Tree and Baobab Fruit

What are the health benefits of baobab fruit?

Traditionally, baobab leaves, bark, and seeds have been used to treat “almost any disease,” including malaria, tuberculosis, fever, microbial infections, diarrhea, anemia, toothache, and dysentery. The leaves and fruit pulp have been used to reduce fever and stimulate the immune system.

Can you drink water from a baobab tree?

Once dried out, it weighs 200kg per cubic meter. This means that baobabs are able to store 650 litres of water per cubic meter of tree. In other words the tree consists of 76% water which is a lot! But even though it has so much water, it is sadly not available for us to drink just like that.

Does cream of tartar come from the baobab tree?

Cream of tartar (a cooking ingredient) was initially produced from the acidic baobab seed pulp but is now mainly sourced as a by-product from the wine-making process.

Why do elephants eat baobab trees?

In many parts of Africa, elephants feed off the nutritious wood pulp of the baobab trees, especially towards the end of the dry season when food is scarce. In areas of high elephant densities, some baobabs take a battering and fall.

What are the other names given to baobab tree?

Name. Baobab [Adansonia digitata] Other names include boab, boaboa, tabaldi, bottle tree, monkey bread tree. The Baobab Tree is also known as the upside-down tree.

What does the baobab tree fruit look like?

The tree produces large, white, fragrant flowers and pendulant, egg shaped fruit, consisting of a woody outer shell covered with yellowish brown hairs that give it a velvety appearance. This fruit is filled with a dark colored kernels of the fruit and a dry, tangy powder similar to cream of tartar in flavor.

Why is the baobab tree called the upside down tree?

Adansonia digitata, more commonly known as Baobab tree is an instantly recognisable figure of African landscape. Standing proud, this species of tree is often referred to as the 'upside-down tree' because it looks as though it's been planted with it's roots sticking up!

What do boab nuts taste like?

Inside the hard case of a boab nut, there is dry powdery fruit pulp, with its tangy citrus flavour, has six times more vitamin C than oranges, and twice as much calcium as milk.

What part of baobab is edible?

Edible portion: Roots, Leaves, Fruit, Seeds, Bark, Sprouts, Flowers, Vegetable. The acid pulp of the fruit is eaten and made into drinks. An edible white, powdery, dry pulp found in the fully ripe fruit is very rich in vitamin C and B2 and makes a refreshing drink.

What is Baobab fruit?

Baobab is the name of a fruit from the Adansonia genus of trees. It's found inside hard pods that hang upside-down from the trees. Baobab is usually consumed as a powder made from the harvested fruit that is dried and ground. It has a pleasant, citrussy flavour.

Can baobab trees grow in the United States?

Baobab is hardy in USDA zones 10 to 12 and needs excellent drainage. Both frost and wet soil can easily kill the trees. A few areas of southern Florida and southern California are suitable for growing baobab in the ground, but most North American gardeners will be growing it in a pot.

Where is the baobab tree native to?

Known as the “Tree of Life,” the species is found throughout the drier regions of Africa and features a water-storing trunk that may reach a diameter of 9 metres (30 feet) and a height of 18 metres (59 feet). Older individuals often have huge hollow trunks that are formed by the fusion of multiple stems over time.

How tall do baobab trees get?

The baobab attains a maximum height of about 23 metres (75 feet); its barrel-shaped trunk attains a diameter of more than 5 metres (16 feet), but a few individuals range from 7.7 to…

What is the nutritional value of baobab fruit?

The pulp of the African baobab fruits contains Vitamin C, (Tables 1 and 2) Calcium, Phosphorus, Carbohydrate, fiber, Potassium, Protein, and Lipids (Burlando et al., 2010). The African baobab pulp can supply 40 g of Vitamin C, providing 54–100% of the Recommended Dietary Intake (10 times the values from orange).

What eats baobab trees?

In Africa, monkeys and warthogs devour baobab fruit and seedpods, and weaver birds stitch their nests into a baobab's huge branches. Galagos—also known as bushbabies—and fruit bats lap up baobab nectar. Elephants and other wildlife sometimes eat spongy baobab bark, which provides moisture when water is scarce.

What does a baobab tree symbolize?

It is believed that kings and elders would hold meetings under the Baobab tree, with the belief that the tree's spirits would guide them in decision-making. In more modern times, the Baobab tree is commonly used as a venue for community meetings or even as a classroom.

Is baobab in the Bible?

They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God (Isaiah 35:1–2, ESV). Scattered throughout our sandy, West African terrain are the magnificent baobabs—massive, gnarly, disproportioned trees that look like they're growing upside down.

What does baobab smell like?

Like many other flowers, those of the baobab also produce nectar and exude a seductive scent. In principle, this is no different from plants that flower during the day. However, the baobabs' flowers have a special scent. In some places they are said to smell like carrion – anything but sweet and lovely.

Are boab nuts edible?

In the dry season, when the bottle-shaped boab trees have lost their leaves, the nuts remain hanging. If you break them open they are full of a powdery flesh, surrounding large seeds. It's the powdery part that's edible, and it's meant to be a very good source of vitamin C.