Baobab Products
The Baobab tree is commonly called ‘The Tree of Life’ in its native country of Africa. In Senegal and Madagascar it is the national tree and appears on stamps and other government seals. Indigo Herbs is offering Baobab in the form of Baobab Fruit Powder helping spread this reputation of this extraordinary tree. This fruit contains a lot of fibre and calcium as well as vitamins and minerals and can be an exotic and interesting addition to a breakfast smoothie.
Growing in arid and semi tropical environments this tree has now been introduced to India and can also be found in Australia. The Baobab is a very beautiful tree that can live to a very old age. The oldest tree has been recorded at 1,275 years old and counting. Another name for this tree is the ‘upside down tree’ which refers to the branches looking like roots but also to a legend of the African god’s dislike of the beauty of the Baobab. The legend relates that because the tree was so beautiful the gods turned it upside down to teach it a lesson. The Baobab became even stronger and more beautiful transferring its strength to the African people. There are so many reasons why the African people regard this tree as sacred but mostly because the tree is used in every facet of life. Tools, rope, nets and food pots from the hard fruit shells are all fashioned from the tree. There have also been cases of the trunk of the Baobab being used as a stable and even a bus shelter.
Baobab can reach a height of around 25 meters and 20 meters in circumference. The young fresh leaves are sometimes used in soups in a similar way to spinach. The fruit are typically 20-30cm long and shaped like a very large upside down pear or cucumber. When the fruit is young it is a yellow/green colour, slowly browning and turning woody and hard. Often the fruits seem to be hollow but contain sets of seeds surrounded in a dry cream coloured fruit pulp.
