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  • Are shea nuts tree nuts?
  • Shea nuts are indeed tree nuts. They are not typically consumed in the North American diet but are part of the African diet where Shea trees are native. The primary article of commerce is shea nut butter, also known as shea nut oil, which is made from shea nuts.
  • Is shea butter a fat?
  • Shea butter (/ ʃiː / shee, / ˈʃiːə / SHEE-ə, or / ʃeɪ / shay; Bambara: sìtulu ߛߌ߮ߕߎߟߎ) is a fat (triglyceride; mainly oleic acid and stearic acid) extracted from the nut of the African shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa). It is ivory in color when raw and commonly dyed yellow with borututu root or palm oil.
  • What is shea nut butter used for?
  • Shea nut butter is used primarily in foods, particularly in inconfectionery products as a cocoa butter substitute. It is also used in various cosmetic applications where the primary exposure would be to the skin.
  • What is a shea nut kernel?
  • The kernel is the oil-bearing material that can be obtained by processing the shea nut fruit. The fruit primarily undergoes several processes - de-pulping, boiling, drying, deshelling, winnowing and sorting - to obtain the kernel from which the shea butter is extracted. Mechanical processing technology
  • What is a shea tree?
  • It is the only species in the genus Vitellaria, and is indigenous to Africa. The shea fruit consists of a thin, tart, nutritious pulp that surrounds a relatively large, oil-rich seed from which shea butter is extracted. It is a deciduous tree usually 7–15 m (23–49 ft) tall, but has reached 25 m (82 ft) and a trunk diameter of 2 m (6.6 ft).
  • Is shea butter phenolic?
  • Within West Africa, shea butter from the Mossi Plateau region of Burkina Faso has a higher average stearic acid content, and so is usually harder than shea butter from other West African regions. A 2014 review characterized and quantified phenolic compounds in shea butter, identifying 10 phenolic compounds, eight of which are catechins.