93
The tanga tree (Vitellaria paradoxa / shea tree)* grows wild on the savannah. The fruits are eaten, but their main value lies in the nut. It is used to make shea butter, both for eating and for cosmetics like soap, ointments, and lotions.
Shea butter, made from the nut of the tanga tree, has found its way into international markets, and there are several initiatives across Burkina Faso where women collectives in villages harvest fruits, produce butter and sell for export.
*All plant names in this series of posts are the local Moore names, with the scientific and/or English names in brackets.
Photo: A tanga tree & a tanga nut in a village south of Kaya, December 2014. Posted on Instagram January 16, 2021.
Katja Malmborg 