The Safou is very variable in its colour. The sensitive skin, almost always covered with numerous “scars”, is mostly blue-violet, but can also be yellow, pink and azure, although it rarely shows only one of these colours. The flesh surrounding the large pit is pistachio green. It consists almost half of fat and tastes therefore buttery, which is why the fruit is also called “bush butter fruit”.

In its consistency and fat content, the safou can best be compared to the avocado. Instead of a nutty taste, however, the focus is on a lemon or lime-like aroma with a fine acidity, especially in young fruits. However, by heating, e.g. cooked in salt water or baked, the buttery taste comes to the fore more strongly. The heat also causes the skin to lose its violet pigments first, causing it to turn an intense blue colour (see title picture, raw fruit on the left, briefly heated fruit on the right).

I got the first fruits at a small street stand in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), the pictures were taken in daylight and not as usual in a photo studio. The newer fruits (including cross section) are imported from Cameroon via www.camerootz.com (African food trader).

• Edible Fruits
• Fruit type Stone fruit
• Culinary group Tropical fruits Oil plants
• Taste nutty sour
• Trivial names Afrikanische Pflaume, Busch-Butterbaum, Saphubaum, Safou, Ube, Atanga, Nsafu, African pear, African plum, Bush pear, Bush plum, Bush butter fruit, Safoutier
• Size 6 cm
• Taxonomy Burseraceae (Torchwood family) Dacryodes edulis
• Origin Guinea, Congo Basin (Map)
• Locality 1 Market stand in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2016
• Locality 2 gekauft, www.camerootz.com (link to trader) 2019