Marula Food, Function, and Sustainable Development The marula is an African native tree prized highly for its fruit. Found in 29 sub-‐Saharan countries, from Cape Verde to South Africa, it is a good source of nutrition because the fruit is high in vitamin C and contains a protein-‐rich nut at its core. Although the marula tree is not domesticated, it has been cultivated intentionally in the wild for hundreds of years, and its distribution closely matches human migration patterns. In many African cultures, a gift of marula nuts is a sign of friendship, and a large marula tree is often a gathering place for village rituals. People appreciate the tree for its shade and beauty, but it also supplies valuable food and provides a supplement to farmer incomes. Beautiful and leafy, yet drought resistant, an average marula tree grows to some nine meters tall and bears up to 500 kilograms of fruit per year. Marula fruits fall off of the tree when they are still green and hard, and ripen within five days. Farmers often build fences or a thorny barrier to keep animals—including elephants, rhinos, giraffes, kudus, and baboons—from getting to the fruit first. Fully ripe marula fruits are tart, with a pleasant sweet-‐and-‐sour taste. The juice has four times as much vitamin C as orange juice. Some fruits are eaten raw, but most are processed into beverages or jellies. At the center of each fruit is a large nut stone that contains a soft, macadamia-‐like kernel. The highly nutritious kernels, which are eaten raw and roasted, are rich in antioxidants. They are about 25 percent protein and contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. The nuts are some 60 percent oil, which is used to treat burns and wounds and is believed to have anti-‐aging properties for the skin. Dry marula nuts keep for months without spoiling and can be stockpiled as emergency food or dietary supplements during off-‐seasons. In addition to being highly productive, the marula indirectly supports other agricultural activities. The flowers produce high quantities of nectar, and bees raised near marula trees produce a light-‐colored honey with excellent flavor. The marula leaves are used for livestock fodder. Marula wood is very hard and is used to make mortars and pestles, bowls, drums, beehives, and stools. And the tree’s bark has medicinal properties and is used to treat dysentery and diarrhea, rheumatism, and insect bites. Many Africans believe that marula-‐root tonics have anti-‐malarial properties as well. Many communities brew their own local version of marula beer. In southeastern Zimbabwe, the beverage is known as mukundi, and in Swaziland the potent local marula drink is so popular that beer sales drop dramatically after the trees bear fruit. Namibia has an official marula wine season. But marula is most famous for South Africa’s commercially produced Amarula Cream liqueur, which is similar to an Irish cream. Marula trees can tolerate very inhospitable climates and terrain and have few pests or diseases. The tree thrives in hot, dry climates, tolerates saline water, and grows well even during droughts. It is also an excellent species for reforestation and is planted in areas hit by deforestation and desertification. The crop has strong potential to be grown more widely. In South Africa alone, some 500 tons of marula fruit are processed commercially for juice, and 2,000 tons for Amarula Cream, every year. Oil from the marula nut is high in unsaturated fatty acids and could be marketed as a specialty salad oil. The oil’s non-drying and anti-‐aging properties could make it useful in cosmetic products as well. The marula tree holds major income-‐generating opportunities in poor rural communities. In Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, villagers often collect and sell the fruit to marula processing facilities. Wider promotion of the tree could foster sustainable development throughout Africa, with the potential to alleviate poverty, support human and animal food security, and help regenerate degraded environments. Now SAME Brands foods will start processing Marula Yellow fresh to you.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 21:02:22 +0000
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