Is shea oil an edible product?

Asked by syz (35938

) June 20th, 2010

I like using shea butter as a moisturizer, and it seems to be quite the fad – the stuff is everywhere! It occurred to me to wonder if all of these skin products are competing with a potential source of cooking oil or food. Is the shea nut edible?

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5 Answers

It is. Good question.

shpadoinkle_sue (7188

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So, I have to wonder, has the Western fad of shea butter taken away a valuable food resource, or is the financial trade off more advantageous?

syz (35938

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Yes

CupcakesandTea (353

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Isn’t shea butter harvested in Africa for pennies or rice by tribeswomen?

They found a cash crop with high demand. I’m sure there is still plenty for the local economy.

jazmina88 (11652

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I didn’t know until I went looking but it is, and is sometimes used as a substitute for cocoa butter. Apparently in Africa it’s traditionally used for cooking oil, among other things.

downtide (23815

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