15 Jan. 2019

The baobab produces a tangy, nutrient-dense fruit that can be made into jam, nectar, baking powder, and more. With exceptional levels of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, baobab fruit is increasingly exploited on a large scale in nutrition and cosmetics.

Madagascar, the country best endowed with baobabs, has yet to fully harness this bounty—so this superfruit is becoming ever more famous around the world, even reaching Hollywood! The seeds from which oil is extracted, the leaves, flowers, and bark can all be put to good use too.

Do you know the baobab?

The baobab is a tree of the genus Adansonia, distributed across 8 species, with one species found throughout Africa and another endemic to northwestern Australia. The remaining 6 species are all endemic to Madagascar. Here, this majestic tree is called reniala, meaning "mother of the forest."

The Avenue of the Baobabs

The baobab is one of the emblems of Madagascar's flora, present especially in the western part of the island. Inland, by the sea, or along a river, baobabs create splendid landscapes. The most famous remains the Avenue of the Baobabs, composed of a dozen trees some thirty meters tall, located 19 km from Morondava.

Baobabs lining the rivers

The best way to admire baobabs in Madagascar is to take a river trek on the Mangoky or the Tsiribihina. Ridges, canyons, and dry forests await discovery too! The experience is simply magical.

What is the baobab used for?

The baobab has always fascinated the Malagasy people, who consider it a tree apart—placed upside down by God, with roots in the air! In certain regions of the island, the reniala is an object of veneration, notably in the village of Andombiry, in the southwestern region of Morombe. It serves many purposes too.

Water reservoir

In the south of the country, on the Mahafaly plateau, villagers in Ampotaka use the trunks as water reservoirs to cope with the dry season.

Baobab fruit

Materials and medicines

It makes sense that baobab wood serves a purpose too: for making walls and roof tiles, and so on. The bark, leaves, roots, seeds, and flowers are used in traditional medicine. The fruit is what holds the most interest…

Is the baobab edible?

The pulp of the baobab fruit is a superfood! It contains 6 times more vitamin C than an orange, 6 times more potassium than a banana, 3 times more vitamin C than a kiwi, and 10 times more antioxidants than goji berries! 100 g of baobab fruit powder contains 162 kcal, 1 g of fat, 44 g of fiber, and 42 g of carbohydrates.

The fruit in all its forms

The fresh fruit has a tangy, slightly sweet taste. You can consume it as is by sucking on it. Children are particularly fond of it! The pulp can be used to make baobab nectar, baobab jam (with a flavor reminiscent of coconut milk), baobab pulp concentrate, and more. When transformed into powder, it can be used to make baobab juice or baobab smoothies!

Baobab oil

The seed is also edible and proves to be very oily! You can tell by crunching it raw. It can therefore produce oil from baobab seeds. This oil possesses nourishing, regenerating, softening, and soothing properties. It is yellow in color with a fluid, silky texture. The smell and taste are reminiscent of walnuts. It is also antiallergenic and anti-inflammatory.

Baobab flower

Baobab honey

When bees draw nectar from baobab flowers (a variety of smaller baobabs), the resulting honey is rare and highly fragrant! This medium-strong, refined honey is dark in color, reminiscent of chestnut honey and maple syrup!

See also > https://www.voyagemadagascar.com/les-baobabs-de-madagascar-arbres-emblematiques-et-mythiques/

Charlène NomadaysA pioneering SEO writer at Nomadays from the very beginning, who has evolved into content manager and head of communications, Charlène has accompanied the adventure with passion and dedication since its inception. After spending seven years in Asia—from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolia and South Korea—she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a sensitive, committed, and responsible vision of tourism. For her, each article is a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.