Shea butter for Cooking

Shea butter is a vegetable fat, which is extracted from sun-dried kernels of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa synonyms Butyrospermum parkii and B. paradoxum; or Vitellaria paradoxa subspnilotica).The fruit of the shea tree has long been considered sacred by many in western Africa because of its myriad health benefits. Demand for shea is growing "both domestically and internationally. Ivory Coast is already the fifth-largest producer of shea in the world, harvesting around 40,000 tonnes a year.