Mystery Ingredients: Baobab Fruit, the next best thing to sliced monkey bread
Baobab fruit by dwanjabi on Flickr
According to Fooducate, there’s a new FDA-approved food in town: baobab fruit. That’s not to say you should expect to see these almost watermelon-sized pods garnish family fruit salads any time soon; baobab fruit, also called “monkey bread,” will most likely make its appearance as a natural, nutritional enhancement to other drinks and foods.
Although the baobab fruit doesn’t taste like much, it is good for you; for starters, it has six times the vitamin C concentration of an orange. It also contains good helpings of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and fiber. In addition, limited evidence suggests that the fruit has anti-inflammatory properties.
The baobab fruit grows on trees found in mainland Africa, Madagascar, and Australia. In fact my husband, who grew up in Kenya, used to have a tree in his backyard. The largest known living tree in the world is an African baobab tree that’s located in the country of South Africa. It has a diameter of about 15 meters (49 feet)! Most baobab trees are impressively sizable, growing to a thickness of about 7 to 11 meters.
Baobab at Sunrise by Anton Mattheee
Over at Gherkins and Tomatoes, Cynthia Bertelsen recounts historical perspectives on the baobab. She attributes the name, baobab, to the Arabic word bu hibab (“the fruit with many seeds”). She goes on to discuss culinary uses, such as grinding the seeds to powder to use in baking and stewing the leaves as a thickener in soups and sauces. Lastly, Bertelsen offers up some regional baobab recipes.
I haven’t had a chance to try these fruits (Once again, if anyone wants to buy me a plane ticket, I’d be happy to take up the offer), but my husband said he used to eat something similar to the Kenyan recipe as a snack at school. He seemed to like it okay. The snack featured the seeds, which are often eaten raw, or cooked as the main ingredient in a dish. The baobab is currently making a splash in Europe as well; a British chef discusses the potential for baobab in European style recipes in the Guardian online [via All About Baobab].
We’ve all heard of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but did you know that there’s a rock band called Baobab? If you’re having a no duh moment right now, cut me some slack — my indie rock days are a few years behind me. And let me know if you’re a fan or if you’ve been to a Baobab show.
The baobab also figures in popular culture through stories and literature. Thungle recounts a folktale explaining the funny shape of the baobab tree. The famous French novel, Le Petit Prince, features a protagonist battling baobab trees that threaten to overwhelm his planet.
Baobab trees do have a pretty funny shape. Has anyone had the chance to see one? If you do come across some baobab fruit, give it a chance–it’s good for you, and you just might like it!
Baobab trees by Daniel Montesinos on Flickr
