One can never boast of lucrative nuts in Ghana without acknowledging Shea Nut.
In today’s edition of the Ghana Month celebration, The Ghana Report takes readers to the northern parts of Ghana where shea nut originated and has become one of the nation’s industrial delights.
Shea nut which belongs to the family of Sapotaceae is mostly planted by the people in the Northern Region of Ghana.
The nut serves health, nutritional, and treatment purposes for Ghanaians and foreigners.
Shea nut tree takes about fifteen to twenty years to produce shea nut. The plant bears fruits for about two hundred years and even more.
During the pre-colonial era, shea nut was used by the people of the then Gold Coast to manufacture shea butter, cooking oil, and other purposes.
In the northern part of Ghana, where the tree grows predominantly, due to the harsh weather conditions, the people apply the shea butter, generated from the shea nut to their bodies and lips to avoid cracks.
After independence in 1957, Ghanaians continued to make good use of the shea nut to make shea butter, cooking oil, and other products.
Currently, shea nut is one of the leading ingredients for producing shea butter cream popularly known as ‘Nkuto’ in Ghana as well as many body lotions.
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Most cooking oils used locally and exported are made from shea nuts as well.
Moreover, many cosmetic companies fall on shea nut to produce hair creams and relaxers for the local, and international markets.
The by-product, which is obtained after the oil has been extracted, is fried and served as a dessert or eaten as a snack.
The next time you pay a visit to the Northern Region, try your best and have a feel of shea nut which is like a ‘Gold’ to the nation, of Ghana.