Shea Butter
· Pure · Bake · Roast ·
200 ml
With our BIO PLANÈTE Shea Butter we are bringing a piece of Africa to European cuisine. After all, traditionally the “Gold of Africa” is used not only in cosmetics and medicine, but above all as a foodstuff.
Wild harvest
The gnarled shea trees grow up to 20 meters in height and can live for more than 300 years. In spring, the white blossoms exude a scent of honey. Shea trees are considered sacred trees in Africa and they must not be harmed or felled. The fruits for BIO PLANÈTE Shea Butter are mainly collected in Burkina Faso, Ghana and the Ivory Coast – in a wild harvest. Because targeted breeding has not yet been successful, there are no plantations.
Traditional production
At harvest time, generally between June and July, the fruit is collected predominantly by the women of the often rural communities in the so-called Shea Belt which stretches from West Africa to the Upper Nile region. To get to the much sought-after vegetable fat, traditionally the seeds are first separated from the flesh of the fruit, boiled and then dried under the sun of Africa.
They are then crushed into a brownish pulp with a mortar and boiled several times until the shea oil can be separated from the kernels and skimmed off. As it cools, the oil solidifies and an ivory-coloured butter with a nutty scent is produced: the precious Shea Butter.
It is estimated that more than 16 million women are employed along the shea supply chain, which is why shea butter is also known as “women’s gold”. Collecting and processing the fruit has always been in women's hands and often forms the basis of life for entire families.
Versatile in use
Shea Butter is spreadable, neutral in taste and highly heatable. Traditionally, the locals also use the soft butter as a frying and baking fat. The special highlight: BIO PLANÈTE Shea Butter browns baked goods and makes them wonderfully crispy. Shea butter is also suitable as a vegan spread and can be used similarly to animal butter – but offers around 50 per cent more unsaturated fatty acids.
BIO PLANÈTE Shea Butter will be available from September 2020.
Product of organic farming
Average nutritional analysis for 100 ml
** % of daily reference intake (adults)
Shea Butter is the sustainable vegan alternative for baking and frying. Depending on how you use it, it is a great substitute for animal butter, palm oil and cocoa butter and offers other advantages too:
• very spreadable (melting point at about 28°C)
• neutral in taste and highly heatable
• melts wonderfully on the tongue
• 50 % more unsaturated fatty acids than animal butter & coconut oil
• Makes baked goods wonderfully brown
• Store at room temperature
• Conservation of important endangered animal habitats thanks to the harvesting of wild karitè trees
Discover wonderful recipes using our Shea Butter in our cookbook:
