John Myers
In Africa, the fruit of the baobab tree has long enriched the diet. In powder form, baobab is also conquering the European market and is advertised as a superfood that is said to relieve all kinds of ailments. What is it about the “superfruit”?
New Superfood? baobab
Foods that are marketed as superfoods because of their high nutrient density keep popping up in modern nutrition. Baobab has recently joined them. The fruit of the baobab tree, which looks similar to the cacao pod, originates from Africa, where it is consumed as a nutrient-rich food. The high-fat seeds and pulp serve as a base for sweets, sauces, purees, and oil.
Like the whole tree, the baobab fruit is also said to have healing effects. In Europe, baobab is mainly available as dried pulp and powder. It is also finding its way into local cosmetic lines as a skin care oil with a delicate fragrance
These nutrients are in baobab
Scientific analyzes have so far shown that baobab powder is rich in vitamin C, iron and calcium. However, these vitamins and minerals are also found in local fruit and vegetables, such as sea buckthorn, rose hips, legumes or cabbage. For this reason alone, it is not worth reaching for the expensive superfood.
The content of the dietary fiber pectin, which keeps you full for a long time and keeps the blood sugar level constant, is not a monopoly of baobab either. Apples and carrots also provide pectin and otherwise have good nutritional values.
If you like, you can still buy the powder and enjoy it as a drink dissolved in water or milk, for example. According to current knowledge, baobab is a safe food with no side effects.
This is how baobab can be used in the kitchen
All other claims regarding medical effectiveness are without scientific evidence. When losing weight, baobab can support you in that it fills you up for a long time. If you would like to try recipes with the slightly sour-tasting baobab, you can sprinkle the powder into muesli, stir into yoghurt, bake cakes with it, refine your porridge or make a salad dressing out of it. Due to its slightly binding effect, baobab is also suitable as a thickening agent for soups, dips, and desserts. Thanks to the pectin it contains, you can also use baobab to make jam and marmalade.
