EPO PUPA - 100% Pure - Red Palm Fruit Oil
Red Palm Fruit Oil
Epo Pupa - 100% Pure - Red Palm Fruit Oil also known as Dende oil is derived from the fruit of the palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) and is an essential ingredient to both West African and Brazilian cuisine. Sustainable, native wild palms grow in richly biodiverse areas of West Africa from Senegal to Angola. Red Palm Fruit Oil is an essential nutritious ingredient in traditional West African and Brazilian cuisine. For thousands of years West Africans have used Pure Palm Fruit Oil in their cooking.
Red Palm Fruit Oil gets its distinctive red colour from the high content of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene and lycopene, which are natural pigments that also give carrots and tomatoes their vibrant colours. These carotenoids are beneficial antioxidants and have been associated with various health benefits.
Red Palm Fruit Oil is rich in antioxidants and promotes good health; completely different in its composition and properties from palm kernel oil which is high in unhealthy saturated fats. Palm kernel oil has been traditionally used by West Africans ONLY for skin & hair care! Red Palm Fruit Oil contains NO cholesterol is shown to be protective for the heart.
How To Use Red Palm Fruit Oil in Cooking?
In cooking, Red Palm Fruit Oil is widely used due to its high smoking point and stability at high temperatures. It is commonly used in African, Southeast Asian, and South American cuisines as a cooking oil, for frying, and as an ingredient in traditional dishes. It imparts a distinct reddish-orange colour and a rich flavour to foods. Take your mainstream cooking to the next level by using red palm oil to make vibrant roast potatoes, curries & stews and for poaching fish.
West African Red Palm Fruit Oil, particularly countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast, is known for its long history of palm oil production. West African red palm fruit oil is typically produced through traditional methods that involve the extraction of oil from the palm fruit using mechanical methods like pressing or boiling. This traditional extraction method helps retain the characteristic red colour and distinct flavour of the oil. West African red palm fruit oil is commonly used in West African cuisines, such as Nigerian and Ghanaian dishes, as well as in various local traditional preparations.
Red Palm Fruit Oil gets its distinctive red colour from the high content of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene and lycopene, which are natural pigments that also give carrots and tomatoes their vibrant colours. These carotenoids are beneficial antioxidants and have been associated with various health benefits.
Red Palm Fruit Oil - Featured in SBS - Food Safari
Chef Kunle first demonstrates using Red Palm Fruit Oil in SBS Food Safari hosted by Maeve O'Meara which was first aired on 14 January 2009. He featured again on SBS Food Safari - FIRE! demonstrating using Red Palm Fruit Oil to make Shito, a traditional West African - Ghanain - smoked fish & chilli condiment.
How to store Pure Palm Fruit Oil
Tribal Tastes Red Palm Fruit Oil is packed in amber wine bottle to protect natural carotenes. In fact in the oil should unexpectedly stain your clothes the only way to remove the stain is by exposing the cloth to sunlight. The carotenes are photo sensitive. Store Pure Palm Fruit Oil in a cool dark place. For day to day use, store smaller amounts of oil in easy to access wide neck jar.
Evidence that Pure Palm Fruit Oil is healthy
In 2010 we were very pleased to have a visit from Prof Johan Esterhuyse PHD Faculty of Health & Wellness Sciences, Cape Town University in South Africa to our shop at the Queen Victoria Market. Professor Esterhuyse has studied Red Palm Fruit Oil and has many of his studies published including this one looking at the protective factors Palm Fruit Oil has on the heart.
Health benefits of a natural carotenoid rich oil: a proposed mechanism of protection against ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2008;17 (S1):316-319.
Read Full Article
Science in Africa On-line magazine published an article in Sep '05 explaining the health benefits of Pure Palm Fruit Oil in terms of high levels of carotenoids & Vitamin E.
Carotenoids The striking ruby-red colour of Palm Fruit Oil is due to the exceptionally high levels of caroteinoids (e.g. a and carotenes and lycopene in the product Palm Fruit Oil has on average 13 to 15 times more carotenes than carrots and 40 to 50 times more than tomatoes. These carotenes are non toxic, pigmented precursors of vitamin A. Our bodies convert them into vitamin A as and when required. Vitamin A is important in, amongst others, maintaining good vision and supporting the immune system. In addition, carotenes have strong antioxidant properties - they remove damaging oxygen-free radicals, prevent certain forms of cancer and delay the aging process.
Vitamin E: tocopherols and tocotrienols Palm Fruit Oil also has high levels of tocopherols and tocotrienols, which are two forms of the strong antioxidant, vitamin E. They, too, remove damaging oxygen-free radicals from the body. Among all vegetable oils, Palm Fruit Oil has by far the highest level of naturally occurring tocotrienols. Tocotrienols have been reported in scientific literature to prevent cardiovascular diseases, lower the serum cholesterol level, decrease platelet aggregation, inhibit the growth of certain types of cancer cells, protect the skin against UV radiation and offer some protection to nerve cells.
Beware of Imitations
Tribal Tastes is concerned about adulterated Palm Oil being sold as Red Palm Fruit Oil in Australia. This is Palm Kernel Oil which has been deoderised and coloured with food dye. Ensure that African Food is purchased from registered food premises and is labelled. Tribal Tastes - feast from Africa proudly stocks sustainable, ethically sourced 100% Pure - Red Palm Fruit oil.
The following are characteristics of adulterated product.
- When 100% Pure Red Palm Fruit Oil is congealed and cold the colour resembles egg yolk - NOT between carrot Juice & blood orange
- Smell should be fruity and barely detectable. It should NOT be offensive
- Ensure that product is labelled as Pure Palm Fruit Oil - NOT crude Palm Oil
- Beware of product sold unlabelled
- 100% Pure Palm Fruit Oil has no sediment on the bottom of the bottle
Fun Facts - Using Red Palm Fruit Oil for coughs and colds
Red Palm Fruit Oil can be used as a natural cough and cold relief. Combine equal amounts of oil, honey and lemon for a soothing and anecdotally effective as a natural cough syrup.