Babassu Oil

Babassu Oil – Orbignya martiana, O. oleifera, or O. speciosa – Babassu is a big palm tree about 20 meters high native to Brazil. It is extensively cultivated and presents a very important industrial and economical resource for Brazil. Its principal product is a rather stable, light yellow, clear oil which is employed in food, soap and detergency industries. This oil is similar in properties and uses to coconut oil and is used increasingly as a substitute for it. Babassu oil is cold pressed from the kernel. Flour, animal feed, medicines and beverages can all be produced from the fruit, while the seeds contain oil useful for cooking and soap-making. Even the leaves provide thatch for houses and can be woven into mats for constructing house walls, while stems are used for timbers. Babassu oil does not readily become rancid.