As I drive out of Dakar, the roads are mostly quiet, with only a few people scattered here and there. For miles, the landscape is dotted with simple homes, their thatched roofs standing in contrast to patches of vibrant green growing nearby. The air is thick with the scent of tangled grass, and as I continue, the trees begin to grow more densely. It’s at this point that the landscape transforms into something almost otherworldly. These are no ordinary trees; they are immense, ancient beings that seem to have existed since time itself began. These are the legendary baobabs.
In Senegal and across much of sub-Saharan Africa, the baobab is much more than just a tree. It is a symbol of the land itself, revered for its extraordinary size and remarkable resilience to the harshest conditions. The baobab stands strong against both the weather and the elements, embodying the spirit of endurance. But it’s not just a tree of survival—it’s one wrapped in deep mystique and legend. Over the centuries, it has been a vital source of food, medicine, clothing, and shelter for West African communities, especially oral storytellers, who have woven its presence into the fabric of their history. This is a tree that has earned its title as “The Tree of Life,” with roots that seem to reach for the heavens.
As an ethnobotanist and integrative medicine doctor, I have always been captivated by the medicinal properties of food. So, it’s no surprise that I was drawn to the baobab, a tree whose profound health benefits and ancient wisdom have intrigued me for years.
The baobab, also known as monkey bread, is a remarkable fruit that grows from the large green pods of the baobab tree. These oval, furry seedpods range from six to eight inches long and contain a pulp packed with impressive nutritional benefits. The fruit’s pulp is rich in vitamin C, containing six times the amount found in an orange, and boasts 50% more calcium than spinach. Not only is it a nutritional powerhouse, but it also brings a unique flavour to various dishes, particularly fish and rice recipes, adding a delightful tang.
You can eat the white fruit straight from the pod or soak it in water to extract its juice. The resulting drink, made with water and sugar, has a refreshing taste that blends the tartness of lemonade with a subtle pear-like flavour. Because of its very low moisture content, the fruit can be dried and ground into a fine powder, which can be used in different culinary preparations.
Chef Pierre Thiam, renowned for his New York-based Senegalese restaurant Yolele and his cookbook Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl, incorporates baobab fruit in a variety of his dishes. Thiam recalls growing up in Senegal, where he was captivated by the baobab’s mythical nature. The tree’s bark was used to craft baskets and ropes, its roots were ground into powder to treat malaria and used as a dye, and its fruit was infused for babies’ baths to soften their skin.
Thiam enjoys baobab in several ways. When the leaves are fresh, he uses them as a substitute for spinach, and the younger leaves are perfect for salads, drizzled with baobab or olive oil. The dried leaves, he notes, make an excellent thickener for sauces. “I also like to add the fruits to smoothies,” he adds, highlighting the versatility of the baobab in modern cuisine.
As a doctor with a deep interest in using food as medicine, I find the many uses of the baobab tree fascinating. While folk remedies based on plants exist in cultures worldwide, few trees have as many applications as the baobab. As the African Journal of Food Science points out, the fruit is not only nutrient-dense but also holds medicinal value. The oil extracted from baobab seeds can soothe inflamed gums and relieve pain from tooth issues, while the leaves are used in treating fevers. Furthermore, as detailed in the Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants, baobab pulp extract is known for its liver-protective properties, helping to prevent liver damage caused by hepatitis.
Buy bi is a dried pulp made from the fruit, available in powder or small chunks. It is traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments such as diarrhea, dysentery, and malaria. I turned to it when my children were struck with a stomach virus while travelling. I bought a few bags of bi biscuits from a local shop, and the shopkeeper, with a knowing smile, offered them to me without asking why I needed them. “Don’t worry, this will help,” she reassured me. The biscuits were soft and lightly sweet, pairing beautifully with hibiscus.
Baobabs are no longer a secret. Their powerful benefits have earned them a spot in upscale grocery stores in the U.S., and they are now recognized as a “superfruit,” alongside other celebrated fruits like acai, pomegranate, and papaya. Western medicine is also beginning to take note of the tree’s remarkable nutritional and medicinal qualities, and research continues to explore its potential.
As we look to the future, baobab is likely to be incorporated into more functional foods, power drinks, and dietary powders. While I’m a strong advocate for whole foods over supplements, there’s something uniquely enriching about experiencing new foods in their most natural form—tasting them, feeling their textures, and savouring the adventure they offer. This experience is something no supplement or processed item can replicate.
You should now visit an African grocery store to purchase some buy bi. Are you ready to try baobabs? Enjoy Chef Thiam’s smoothie recipe:
Reprinted from Senegal: Modern Senegalese recipes from the source to the bowl by Pierre Thiam and Jennifer Sit
Tropical Baobab Smoothie
This creamy, dairy-free smoothie will take you right to the sun-drenched beaches of Casamance.
Serves 4
2 cups frozen chopped banana
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
2 cups full-fat or light coconut milk
4 cups Baobab Fruit Drink (recipe below)
½ cup raw cashew nuts (optional)
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
Baobab Fruit Drink
Tropical and creamy, this is one of our traditional drinks made of rehydrated baobab fruit pulp. It’s very simple to make and is a great base for any number of fruit juices and smoothies.
Serves 4
2½ cups baobab fruit pulp
5 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Stir well until the water becomes white and thick. Strain the juice into a pitcher through a fine-mesh sieve lined with damp cheesecloth. Serve chilled.
